Whatever it Takes
by Kayte76
Summary: Veronica learns her lessons the hard way while working a case. She gets herself into a bit of trouble and fate makes the one phone call to rewrite history.
1. Chapter 1

Veronica lay trapped, pinned beneath the steering wheel of her car. If she could just twist her wrist a little more...there, her phone flipped open. A little more fiddling around in her bag and she was able to press her finger to the pad, not sure who she was calling or if they would even answer, but it was her only chance. She could feel the blood running down her face as well as feeling tired and weak, it was more the fact that she wasn't feeling any pain that concerned her. She was relieved when she heard the line connect. Whoever she'd reached picked up on the third ring.

" _Well, if it isn't my arch nemesis, Veronica Mars. What cat and mouse game are we playing this time?_ " Veronica thought she was dreaming. She had died and this was fate, mocking her. Could she really have called Logan or was her mind screwing with her?

"Lo-gan?" It was a struggle to answer. She felt so weak.

" _Veronica, what's wrong?_ " Strangely, hearing the panic in his voice reassured her. She knew he would come; he still cared.

"Help me," she begged.

" _Veronica, Veronica!"_ This time, the tone in his voice frightened her; what if he couldn't hear her? Veronica tried to move so she could get her phone. If she could just…

" _Veronica, please talk to me_ ," he pleaded with her. " _Yell at me...something...anything._ "

She tried, she really did, but he didn't seem to hear her. She finally worked her phone out of her bag, but she couldn't hold onto it and it dropped onto the seat. Logan's voice did seem louder, even if she couldn't hold the phone to her head, and she tried again to make him hear her.

"Lo-gan. Help me."

" _Oh, thank God, Ronnie, you need to tell me where you are._ " She could hear the relief in his voice. It was softer, the way he used to sound when he talked to her.

Veronica tried to remember where she was. "Down. In my car. Logan, he ran me off the road."

" _Who ran you off the road, V, please? Where are you? What road?_ "

Veronica tried to swallow the dryness in her throat. She felt so tired. "Off the 5, National City. In Sweetwater. Please help me."

* * *

Not wanting to disconnect the call, Logan made his way back to the pool and snatched Dick's phone sitting on the lounge chair. "Hey man, what gives?" Dick asked, but Logan ignored him as he dialed 9-1-1. He relayed what little information he had to the dispatcher, waving Dick off as he ran for his truck with both phones.

"Ronnie, we're coming for you. Talk to me. Are you hurt?"

He didn't think he'd ever been so scared in his life, no matter how horrible Aaron could be. What was she doing in National City? And was she _in_ Sweetwater? Had she been in Tijuana?

" _It doesn't hurt. I know I've got a cut on my head; I can feel the blood. But I can't move. My legs are pinned._ "

Logan knew exactly where she was. There was an In and Out and a Denny's at that exit. It was his preferred spot to stop and get food on the way back from a night in TJ. Shortly after getting off the 5, the road crossed over Sweetwater River. Luckily, it wasn't much of a river, but the idea of her trapped in her car in the water made him queasy.

"I'm coming, V, but I'm about half an hour away. The paramedics will be there before I am. You're gonna be okay."

" _Can you talk to me?_ " Her voice was tiny, so different from what he was used to hearing from her these days.

"Okay. Why don't you tell me what you were doing down there, V?" He tried to keep his voice calm so he wouldn't scare her anymore than she already was.

" _I was following a lead, but he followed me instead._ " She started to cry and his hands clenched around his steering wheel. " _I should have stayed on the 5._ "

He couldn't argue with that, but when the crying stopped and she fell silent, the panic set in again.

"Ronnie? You still with me? I need you to talk to me."

" _I hear them, Lo. The sirens. They're close._ " He'd been barrelling down the 5 as fast as he could, sure he would get to her in half the time the trip normally took.

"I told them right where to find you, V. I'm on my way." Logan hit the gas just a little harder.

* * *

Veronica walked into the dive bar heading towards the bartender. This was the third bar she had been to and she wasn't having much luck with anything other than drawing attention to herself. Her petite stature ensured she looked out of place.

"We don't serve milk and cookies here, little lady."

With a sarcastic grimace and a head tilt, she pulled a photo out of her pocket.

"I'm not here for a snack. I'm looking for someone. Seen him before?" She held it out and he leaned down to take a look.

"Maybe. Daddy didn't come home last night so you thought you'd come look for him?"

She wasn't getting anywhere. "Something like that. Have you seen him or not?"

"He comes in occasionally. Hadn't seen him in a while though." The bartender moved away, turning to a scruffy looking drunk at the end of the bar. "Tito, you seen Russo lately?" Tito shook his head without even lifting it from staring at the drink in front of him. "Sorry, kid."

This guy had vanished. She'd wasted a tank of gas, not to mention her time. She got in her car and headed back onto the 5. She spent the first several minutes of the drive chastising herself for taking on this dead-end case, but when Veronica stopped dwelling on her misfortune, she'd spied a car behind her. She'd tried to determine if it was following her by taking the next exit off the interstate. She realized she'd made a mistake when the car rammed into the back of the Le Baron and sent her over the embankment toward Sweetwater River.

* * *

Logan sat in the emergency room waiting area, holding Veronica's messenger bag. He'd used her phone to call Keith, but when the voicemail kicked in, he hung up instead of leaving a message, not sure what he should say. Her phone had been locked, but he'd tried her old password, 7669—the word pony in numbers—and grinned as the phone unlocked and showed him an old picture of Veronica and Lilly mugging for a selfie. He flipped through her text messages and realized that Keith was in Las Vegas on a case. It seemed most likely that he was inside a casino where his phone wouldn't work.

When he'd arrived at the scene, the EMT's were already loading Veronica into the ambulance.

"Logan!" He barely heard her weak voice calling for him and ran to her side, blanching at the blood matting her hair and staining her face. Like Lilly.

"Ronnie, you're gonna be okay." He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or her, but he reached for her hand and squeezed it. She was so cold, but her fingers clutched on his.

"You the guy who called this in?" an EMT asked.

Logan turned his attention away from her long enough to confirm it. "Yeah, she called me and told me where she was, so I called you guys."

"Nice work, both of you. Miss, is it okay if I give him your belongings for safekeeping?"

To Logan's surprise, she gave a single, slow nod. "Yeah," she replied. Her eyelids drooped and her voice started to slur. "I think he's the old Logan today. I can trust him." Her eyes slid shut and the grip on his hand went slack.

"We're gonna take her to Sharp Chula Vista Hospital. Not sure you can follow us, but we really need to get going." With that, they lifted Veronica the rest of the way into the ambulance and pulled the door shut, leaving Logan standing there. He ran back to his truck and took off in the direction the ambulance had gone. They were easier to follow when he didn't acknowledge the traffic laws. The scene had been bad. She'd been run off the road into the river but instead of hitting the water she'd hit the only pillar on the way down. As he sat in the waiting room, hoping to hear something, he began looking through the rest of the bag. She had a file on a guy named Frank Russo. What the hell? She was chasing a bail jumper accused of assaulting his wife! Any reservations he might have had about snooping through her stuff disappeared. How could her dad let her do this kind of work? He was sifting through the paperwork in the file, getting angrier at Keith Mars with every detail about Frank Russo that he read, when her phone rang. Logan glanced at the caller ID on the screen. Dad. He sneered at the phone and flipped it open, then raised it to his ear.

" _Fire up the grill, honey, we're having steaks tonight!_ " The excited voice rang through the phone.

"Mr. Mars," Logan said coldly.

" _Who is this?_ " The excitement morphed immediately to suspicion.

"It's Logan Echolls, Mr. Mars."

" _Logan? Where's Veronica? She didn't tell me she was having a group over studying._ "

Hold on...he thought she was studying? "Uh, no, Mr. Mars. We're not studying."

" _What's going on, Logan? Where is Veronica?"_

"Sharp Chula Vista Hospital." Logan was blunt.

" _Sharp Chula…?_ " Keith sounded confused. He didn't seem to understand what Logan was trying to tell him.

"There was an accident. I've been waiting to hear something." Logan felt strangely calm as the confusion and panic increased in Keith's voice.

" _What kind of an accident, son?"_ Keith asked

"This case she was working on...someone ran her off the road."

" _WHAT? What case? Logan, just what has my daughter been up to?_ "

"I'm not sure, sir, I only know what she told me when she called me for help, and from what's in this file she has in her bag. I figured you'd already know what this was about."

" _I have no idea what is going on, Logan; you can trust me on that."_

"Okay, well, when you get here, you might be able to decipher it for yourself."

" _I will. Thanks, Logan, I'll be there as quick as I can. Tell her I'm coming."_

The call ended before Logan could tell him that she was still with the doctors, and Logan sat back, throwing the phone into the bag on the seat next to him. He rested his head on the wall behind him and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander. Mr. Mars hadn't known what Veronica had been up to. He felt slightly guilty for exposing her secrets, but he honestly thought this had been a family business and he was letting his daughter get into these situations.

"Mr. Echolls?" Logan sat up, blinking in confusion. He must have fallen asleep. An older man wearing hospital scrubs was kneeling in front of him.

"Yeah?"

"Mr. Echolls, did you happen to get in touch with her family?" the doctor asked him.

"Uh, yeah. Her dad is on his way. He was in Las Vegas so it's going to take him some time. Is she okay?"

The doctor glanced around the waiting room and leaned in, talking to him softly. "She's going to have a long recovery ahead of her, but she is alive and she will get better. It's just going to take some time." The doctor stood, glancing around the room again. "It's late, and I shouldn't be doing this, but it says her only family is her dad and, as you said, it's going to take some time for him to get here if he was in Las Vegas. Would you like to come see her before we put her in her own room?"

Logan nodded. "Um, thanks." He stood up and grabbed her bag before following the doctor down the hall.

The doctor stopped in front of the recovery room, motioning for Logan to enter ahead of him.

"She's going to be in here for about an hour. Once she's awake, they'll move her to a private room. You can go in if you want to sit with her."

"Thanks, Doctor." Logan walked into the room, wincing at the sight of Veronica lying in the oversized hospital bed. She looked even smaller than usual. She was hooked up to a couple of beeping machines and she had all these tubes connected to her. She had casts on both legs and a bandage wrapped around her head. There were a few cuts and bruises visible to him. She looked so fragile. He slowly walked into the room, setting her bag on the ledge next to the window. He moved a chair over to her bedside and sat down. He started to reach for her hand, but pulled away, rubbing his hands on his thighs.

"You can touch her. She won't break." Logan looked up to see the doctor leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, watching him.

"I'm not sure about that. She looks pretty broken already. I don't want to hurt her."

The doctor smiled kindly. "You'll be fine."

Logan focused his attention back to the broken girl in the hospital bed, taking a deep breath before reaching for her hand again. It wasn't really that he thought he would break her. The past eight months had proven that he couldn't. It was more about if she would want him to be there. They weren't friends anymore, but she had called him, as if she knew he would be there despite what they were now, not friends, more like frenemies. He didn't know what was happening; all he knew is that he would rather have her alive to fight with than be gone from his life forever.

He sat silently beside her, stroking his thumb across the back of her hand. Being here with her, knowing that she could have died tonight, made him realize that the past few months had been a complete waste of time, driven by his grief. He had spent all this time trying to tear her down, blaming her for the shambles of his life, but seeing her like this, all he wanted to do was put her back together and keep her safe. She was the only thing that made him feel alive. As he sat beside her, listening to the machines beep and watching her breathe, he resolved that everything was going to change. He was going to prove himself to be the same Logan she could depend on before Lilly's death.


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken Keith almost five hours to reach the hospital. He didn't understand how it was Logan who had been with her but he was grateful. Back when the kids had been inseparable, Keith had always been surprised by Logan. His parents barely paid any attention to him, but he seemed to have an instinctive protective streak for his friends that he surely hadn't learned at home. There was a time that he thought this boy would be a more constant figure in his daughter's life, but the grief they'd had, they'd been too young to cope, and it had destroyed their bond, or so he had thought. Following the hallway to room 325, the doctor had given him the rundown on what to expect when he arrived, including the sight of the young man who hadn't left her side since being given access. Bracing himself, he pushed the door open slowly. Logan was sitting beside the bed, holding Veronica's hand with one of his own as he played with her fingers with the other. He was lost in his actions and hadn't even seemed to notice that anyone had entered the room.

Keith stopped short as he took in the appearance of his daughter, bloody and battered and hooked to machines. He'd thought he was prepared, but no amount of explanation could have ever gotten him ready for what he was seeing. He gasped aloud, and Logan's head popped up from his focus on Veronica. His cheeks were stained with dried tears, and he pulled his hands back, self consciously scrubbing them across his cheeks.

"Mr. Mars. You made it." He spoke just above a whisper. "She hasn't woken up yet."

Grabbing another chair, Keith sat down beside Logan next to Veronica's bed. "Thank you for being here for her, Logan."

"There isn't anywhere else I would be. When she called…" Logan gulped down the rest of his statement. "They wouldn't tell me anything more than that she'd be okay."

Keith braced himself. There was a lot they would have to deal with. "Well, she broke both of her legs, which you probably figured out. She has two broken ribs, some blood loss and then there is the injury to her head. It's gonna take some time."

Logan nodded as he looked over Veronica's injuries as Keith listed them out. When he'd finished, Logan turned to him with determination in his voice. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. For her."

Keith sighed and it took him a minute to compose himself enough to answer. "Okay, I'll tell them you have my permission for full access. It will stay that way until she says otherwise."

Logan looked relieved. "Thank you, sir."

Keith stood up and gave Veronica a gentle kiss on the forehead, then he went out to talk to someone at the nurse's station. It probably wasn't healthy for Logan to just sit here with her for too long, but if this is where he wanted to be, Keith wasn't going to push him away. As upset as he seemed, this probably was as good a place as anywhere else he might end up. He did want to call Lynn, though. She wasn't winning any mother of the year awards anytime soon, but she should know where her son was. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hunted through his contacts for a number he hadn't had to call for several months.

He was starting to wonder if she was going to answer when a surprised voice sounded in his ear.

" _Keith Mars, this is an unexpected treat. How are you?"_

"Lynn, hi, yes, it has been a while, hasn't it?. I'm just calling to let you know that Logan is with me."

" _He is? Did something happen, Keith? Is he okay?"_

Keith was gratified to hear the concern in her voice. "Veronica was in an accident and apparently it was Logan she called for help. He's been here from the start and I don't have the heart to send him away."

A dramatic gasp came through the phone. " _Oh goodness, is she alright?"_

"It was pretty bad, but it could have been worse, and she's gonna be fine. It'll be a long recovery, but she's alive and that's what matters. Your son seems to be taking it hard though. I wouldn't be surprised if he was flashing back to last fall. He's quiet and he seems...a little lost, I guess. He's very determined to stay with her."

" _Oh Keith, I do worry about him sometimes. It's been so hard for him...since Lilly. I'm sure it's been the same for Veronica. I just thought...they'd help each other heal, but instead...I don't know. He used to talk about Veronica with joy in his eyes, but now… I don't know what happened between them, but after Lilly died, he's changed so much. They didn't heal together; they alienated each other instead. Maybe being there for her now is what they both need to heal."_

Keith frowned as he considered her words. He didn't know exactly what had happened between Logan and Veronica either, although he assumed it was the same thing as it was with everyone else in town. His investigation of the Kanes. He hoped that he was making the right choice to let Logan's distress inform this decision. "Well, I told him that he could be here with her until Veronica says otherwise. She'll hopefully wake up in a few hours and then it will be up to her whether he stays or not. Maybe you're right and this will give them the chance to heal each other, but it's going to be Veronica's choice, once she can make it."

" _I don't think we could ask for anything more than that. Thank you, Keith. I appreciate you looking out for my son. Like you always did. I'll say a prayer for Veronica."_

"Thanks, Lynn. We'll talk soon." Keith ended the call, then moved to the nurses' station. A tall, red headed woman who'd been exiting Veronica's room when he arrived greeted him.

"How may I help you, Mr. Mars?" she asked.

"Logan Echolls. He's the young man in the room with my daughter." She nodded, acknowledging she knew who he meant. "I'm giving permission for the staff to keep him in the loop for now. I suspect that he's going to be here a lot and I don't want to have to constantly be relaying her progress."

"I can make a note of that on her file. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

As she typed into her computer, Keith tried to think if there was anything else.

"Not that I can think of at the moment. Thank you."

Keith nodded at the nurse, then started back toward Veronica's room. The clock in the hallway caught his eye and he realized that it was getting late. He was sure that Logan hadn't eaten and he hadn't either. He opened the door quietly and saw Logan, still sitting at Veronica's bedside, his head resting on his folded arms on the mattress, his shoulders shaking. Keith backed out of the room again, closing the door silently. He still didn't know how Veronica was going to react to her old friend's presence when she woke up, but it was obvious how much this was impacting Logan. And who could blame him? Barely eight months ago, this boy had lost someone he cared about and now he'd almost lost another. How much more could this kid take?

Keith took a deep breath, then re-opened the door, making sure to make more noise this time. When he stepped inside again, Logan was sitting up, turned away from the door, discreetly wiping at his face. Keith walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Logan?" When he looked up, Keith asked, "Have you eaten anything since you've been here?"

Logan straightened in the chair, pulling away from Veronica. "Um, no. I haven't been hungry."

"Well, if you're planning to be here for her, you're gonna need your strength. How about I go see if I can find us both something to eat?" Logan leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the edge of the bed and nodding his agreement without comment.

"All right, I'll be back shortly." As Keith took the elevator down to the 24 hour cafeteria, he thought about what he'd just witnessed. The kid was keeping his thoughts and feelings bottled up inside and Keith knew he was going to have to try to get him to talk. Maybe after they both got some nourishment in them. If nothing else, it would give him something to think about besides Veronica and how close he'd come to losing her.

He brought food up to the room for both of them, and Logan picked at his sandwich with little interest. When they were finished, Keith didn't have the energy to try to get the boy to talk, so instead they both tried to get some sleep, hunched in their bedside chairs, heads on Veronica's mattress.

Keith had been a little surprised when no one tried to roust them out for the end of visiting hours but that didn't mean that the nurses didn't wake them up every couple of hours to come in and check Veronica's vitals. They made reassuring noises every time they came in, assuring them that everything looked good and she was doing well, but morning came and Veronica continued to sleep.

Around 7:30 AM, Keith made another trip to the cafeteria, bringing back coffee and a sweet roll for Logan. By late morning, Keith decided that he couldn't wait any longer for Veronica to wake up and explain herself, so he asked Logan about the case that his daughter had apparently been working without his knowledge.

Logan handed him the bag that the EMT had given him and they looked over the paperwork together. Keith knew nothing about this case. When a new client came into the office, Veronica would often do the initial interview and then pass the information on to him. He would then decide if he was going to take the case and, if so, she would set up a secondary meeting for Keith to obtain more detailed information. In the last couple of weeks, he'd been slammed with cases and he'd been instructing her to refer any new cases to other firms. Instead, what it looked like was his teenage daughter was taking on the cases he hadn't had time for.

Keith sat back and ran his palm over the top of his head. "I wonder how long she's been taking cases behind my back?"

"When I told you, I assumed you knew," Logan said. He looked at Veronica, still and silent in her hospital bed, and shook his head.

"Do you honestly think I would let my daughter get involved to the point she would be put in danger? How long have you known me, Logan?" Keith asked. "She's my secretary. She does background checks, interviews, paperwork. Occasionally I'll let her sit in her car with Backup and take pictures. That's it. She is NOT to be doing field work."

"I'm sorry, sir. I know you were always very protective of her, but after last year, I guess my perspective of you changed."

"Ah, you're referring to my accusations towards the Kanes. Logan, I follow the evidence, not my heart. The Kanes lied about several things involving that night. Instead of helping the case, they hindered it. Now no one is looking for the truth, except me."

"Sir, Abel Koontz…" Logan began but Keith interjected.

"Did not kill Lilly."

"But he confessed," Logan persisted.

"He was paid to confess by the head of security at Kane Software."

"What?" The look on Logan's face said it all. Keith understood. The Kanes had been like a second family to him since he'd moved to Neptune. If what Keith was telling him was true, it was going to be just one more thing that he held dear that had betrayed him.

Keith wasn't ready to finish this conversation. He still hadn't found the witness he was looking for to prove his accusations. He decided it was best for both of them to focus on Veronica's case.

"Logan, since we're going to be here for a while, why don't we look over this case Veronica has gotten herself involved in. We seem to have everything she collected. Maybe we can work out what she knew that caused this accident of hers." Logan looked at him quizzically, but didn't give him any other response, so Keith continued. "You may not have been in my daughter's life much the last few months, but I remember just how intuitive you can be. You need to put those brains of yours to good use, rather than using them for hair brain schemes or conniving people into doing your bidding."

Keith was sure he saw Logan blush at his admission. Instead of making the kid squirm anymore, he stood up and grabbed the files his daughter had. He set them on the hospital table in front of them and began organizing them. It took Logan a minute before he joined him and the two of them began trying to put the pieces together.

They spent most of the day sifting through the paperwork, but found nothing concrete. If that wasn't frustrating enough, Veronica had still not wakened. The nurses came and went, all saying that her vital signs were continuing to improve, but she continued to sleep, or whatever she was doing. Late in the afternoon, Logan's frustration spilled over.

"Dammit, Mars, what were you up to?"

"The boy's got a good question, Veronica. It seems like there has to be more to this than a bail jumper just refusing to go back on the inside." Keith reached over to brush his daughter's hair away from her face. "Feel free to wake up and wow us with the whole story."

"Doesn't it seem a little extreme for someone who's been arrested for hitting his wife to chase someone off the road who's investigating him?" Logan asked. "Why do something that's gonna get you in worse trouble?" He slapped his hand on the little table, then jumped when a phone began to ring.

"I think that's Veronica's," Keith said. Logan looked around the room, hunting for where the sound was coming from before reaching behind him for her messenger bag and pulling the phone out.

"Forgot I had that," he said, looking at the screen. "This isn't a number she's got programmed." He flipped the phone open. "Hello?" Keith leaned in and Logan turned the phone so the sound carried into the room.

"Uh, hello," a woman's voice said hesitantly. "I talked to a girl yesterday. She asked me to call this number if the guy in the picture showed up. Well, he's here." Keith heard a lot of background noise; it sounded like this woman was at a bar.

"Oh, yeah, thanks for calling. Could you tell me where you are?" Logan asked, grabbing the pen from Keith's hand.

"I'm at the Tropic's. He just got here so I imagine he should be here for awhile."

"Thanks, we'll get someone right there." Logan hung up the phone and looked at Keith.

"We got a lead. You stay here with her?" Keith asked

"Yeah. Be careful. You're all she has."

"Not anymore. I'll let you know what I find out. If anything changes here, you let me know, okay?"

"Of course." With Logan in agreement, Keith grabbed his jacket and left the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

After Keith left, Logan decided that he should try to get a quick nap. He didn't want to risk missing Veronica wake up, so he simply rested his head on her bedside. He realized pretty quickly that sleep was going to be elusive, because his mind wouldn't stop going over everything that had happened, from Veronica's call, to his renewed protective feelings for her, to what Mr. Mars said about the Kanes. He'd started to wonder about what was happening at the Tropics, when his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He grabbed the phone without looking at the screen, expecting it to be Mr. Mars.

"Hello?"

" _Logan, honey, are you alright?"_ The sound of his mother's voice caught him by surprise. _"Mr. Mars called me last night to tell me you were with him, but I kinda expected to see you by now."_

"I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to worry you. I'm okay, really."

"It's okay, honey. I'm sure you're fine there with Keith. How's Veronica doing? I was so sorry to hear that she'd had an accident."

"Thanks, Mom. Everyone says she's going to be okay." He looked down at the battered girl, hoping that what he was saying was the truth.

His mother apparently heard the hesitancy in his voice. _"Logan? What's wrong?"_

"They say she's going to be fine. But she isn't waking up, Mom. And I know they thought she would by now. She just needs to wake up...so I can fix…" He trailed off, unable to force any more words past the tightness in his throat. He ran his free hand over his face, and was surprised to feel wetness on his cheeks. He hadn't even realized he was crying. Apparently talking to his mom about Veronica allowed his emotions to get the best of him.

" _Honey, she will wake up. You have to keep believing that. She just needs to rest right now; remember, she's healing. Do you want me to come down there?"_

Logan shook his head and swallowed hard so he could speak again. "No, no it's okay. It's pretty crowded in here already. Hey, thanks for calling the hospital and convincing them that Mr. Mars and I should stay."

" _The administration was very accommodating. You shouldn't have any problems. Let me know if you do."_ Logan smiled at the thought of his mother getting the hospital to do what she wanted. No one could usually resist her. Except his dad, but he was the biggest asshole alive. _"Oh, honey, before I forget, Richard stopped by to see you. What do you want me to tell him when he returns?"_

He sobered at the thought of Dick. "Oh, uh, don't worry about it. I'll call him. Thanks Mom. For everything."

" _I love you, honey. She's going to be fine."_

"I know she is. Thanks. I love you too."

Logan flipped the phone shut, then stood and began pacing the room, one hand clutching the phone to his chest as he began to chew the thumb nail off the other. He wasn't sure what he should tell Dick to keep him at bay without violating Veronica's privacy too much. He did know that the rumors and the torment of her were going to stop, whatever he had to do to make that happen.

Logan stopped pacing and concentrated on his phone again, starting to send Dick a quick text before he realized that Dick's phone was sitting on the passenger seat of Logan's truck. Damn it, he thought, that won't work. He put the phone back in his pocket and started to pace the room a few more times as he thought about what to do next. Finally, he grabbed the phone again, this time dialing Beaver's number. The younger Casablancas didn't even greet him.

" _Logan, man, Dick is pissed."_

"Yeah, he with you?" Logan wasn't really up for dealing with Dick yet, but he felt like he needed to defuse the situation. He wasn't surprised to hear loud voices through the phone, then suddenly Dick was yelling in his ear.

" _Logan, what the hell, man? Where'd you go? Where's my phone?"_ Dick sounded agitated, and maybe a little drunk.

"Listen, Dick, I'm sorry. There was an emergency and I couldn't hang up to call 9-1-1. I needed your phone. I'll bring it back."

" _What's going on?_ " Dick's anger seemed to deflate. He never could stay angry for very long.

"It's Ronnie. She got herself into some trouble. Dick, it's bad. I had to go. No matter how angry I was with her...I can't lose her too. I can't do it anymore." Logan knew he would understand. Dick was loyal, to a fault. If he said it was so, Dick would back him.

" _Al'ight dude. I get it. Consider it done. You need me there?"_

Relieved, Logan told him he would get back to him and hung up. He was exhausted, between the emotions of talking to his mom and then Dick, he was spent. He returned to the chair, resting his head on the edge of the bed, and finally, he slept.

* * *

On the way to the bar, Keith called his contact in TJ, asking him to meet him at the Tropics. This was the thing Veronica just didn't get. All his years of working at the sheriff's department had given him resources that she was just too young to have. The man she was hunting for had been in hiding, but he wasn't impossible to find, obviously not since she'd done it on her own.

Keith pulled up to the bar, spotting his buddy, Grady, leaning against his car in the parking lot, a cigarette in his hand..

"Hey, man, got a light?" Grady said as Keith got out of his car and walked toward him.

"That shit'll kill you," Keith answered in a low voice. "But it does give us, complete strangers that we are, a reason to talk." He pulled a lighter out of his pocket, along with a snapshot of Frank Russo.

"This is who we're looking for. I need to get him to talk. Just follow my lead."

"You're the boss," Grady replied, pocketing the photo as he leaned in to let Keith light his cigarette. In a louder voice, he said, "Thanks for the light, man," and Keith nodded and headed into the bar. He immediately spotted Mr. Russo leaning against the bar, a drink in his hand. Keith walked up to the bar and took a seat beside him.

"It's just one of those days." Keith said with an exaggerated sigh, motioning to the bartender.

"You have no idea, man," Mr. Russo responded.

Keith began with idle chit chat, casually drawing Grady into the conversation as well when he took the stool on the other side of Mr. Russo. After they'd chatted for a while, Keith suggested they all get something to eat, an offer that Russo easily accepted and the trio moved to a table in the back corner of the bar. Keith spent the next couple of hours plying his mark with food and alcohol to get him to talk.

During the deceptively friendly chat, Keith learned that jumping bail wasn't the only trouble this guy was in. As they sat in the corner, Keith and Grady coaxed the other man's tale out of him. He shared how he'd gotten mixed up with a band of unsavory folk after he arrived in Mexico. He'd only wanted to make a quick buck and he thought he was just hustling a small time dealer, not realizing until after the deed was done that he'd actually just conned a member of the Mexican drug cartel. As Keith listened to Russo's story, he was surprised that the man was still alive after he'd stolen a cartel shipment and re-sold it before realizing who he was messing with.

"You're pretty lucky that the punk didn't have much on you," Keith said. "Who knows what they would do to you if they knew who you are."

"Well, they do know my name, but the idiot I jacked was probably too drunk to get a solid idea about what I look like," Russo admitted. "Even so, they got pretty close to catching up to me. I got an email message, not sure how, but it said they'd killed my daughter."

"What?" Keith exclaimed, suddenly realizing what probably happened to Veronica. Someone from the cartel, or someone trying to curry favor with them, saw her when she was out looking for Russo, pretending that he was her dad, and they tried to get back at Russo through his daughter.

"Yeah, maybe they were trying to flush me out? I believed it, and I'm surprised they didn't catch me then. I was sure that I'd gotten my kid killed, and I didn't exactly play it cool. I tied one on, then when I called to find out what happened to her, I found out that she was just fine. I wised up after that, and I've been laying low for the last day or two while I try to make arrangements to get away from California and Mexico. There's no way I'm going to be safe until I get away from here."

Keith resisted the urge to punch Russo in the face. It made him sick to think this was just a case of mistaken identity and now his daughter was the one lying in a hospital bed. At least she wasn't dead, since that had apparently been the intent, judging by the message that they sent Russo.

"You are one lucky SOB," Keith said. "Hey, gimme a minute; I'm gonna hit the head." He motioned to Grady to stay with Russo, then he headed toward the back of the bar to call Cliff and arrange for a transport so they could at least collect the fee from the bail bondsman. If nothing else, he would finish what Veronica had set out to do.

He returned to the table, then grabbed Mr. Russo, yanking him out of the chair. Grady jumped up, ready with the handcuffs. Keith hustled him out of the bar, placing him in the back of Grady's car while they waited for his ride back to jail. With at least Russo back where he belonged, Keith sagged against the car, knowing that there were still others out there who'd been part of what happened to Veronica. Grady put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, leaning down to make eye contact.

"Keith, I'll keep looking around and you're sure not giving up. We're gonna find the guy who hurt Veronica." Keith nodded and straightened, patting Grady on the arm.

"Thanks, man. You were a big help."

"I've got this guy. Why don't you head back and check on your girl."

"Yeah, that works." He put his hand out to shake Grady's. "Thanks again.".

Back at his own car, Keith checked in with the hospital. They told him there'd been no change in Veronica's condition. He headed back to the hospital, but he took the long way around, feeling like he needed to get his head clear so he could work through what he was going to do about this mess. He knew he was going to need his strength, not only for his daughter and getting justice for her, but also for the troubled teen waiting by her bedside.

* * *

Keith arrived at the hospital prepared to apprise Logan about his trip to Tijuana, but when he arrived, a nurse was quietly working around Logan's sleeping form.

"Hi, Mr. Mars," she said in a low tone.

"Hi, how are things here?" he asked.

"It's going well. Veronica's still stable." She smiled toward Logan, his head resting on his crossed arms atop Veronica's bed, one hand covering hers protectively. "He's been asleep for at least three hours now. We're all doing our best not to wake him."

Keith moved the empty chair to the opposite side of Veronica's bed so he wouldn't disturb him either. The nurse finished what she was doing and left them alone. As he sat holding his daughter's hand, his mind began to wander again. He'd spent a lot of time lost in his head, trying to make sense of all of this, but the long drive had been good for him. He'd cleared his head of all the misplaced anger and fear for his little girl. Unfortunately, knowing how and why this happened didn't make him feel any better. He still didn't have the punk who'd followed his daughter and forced her off the road, but was it worth it to go after someone working in the cartel? It wasn't going to help Veronica. His little girl was still broken and he couldn't do anything to fix her. He'd failed to keep her safe. Right now, he needed to concentrate on Veronica. Maybe after she woke up and was feeling more herself, he would be able to discuss it with her.

Logan stirred in his sleep, patting Veronica's hand, like he was making sure she was still there, then settling again. Keith turned his attention away from his daughter to study the young man across from him. For the second night in a row, he found himself reflecting on where Logan had learned to be protective and loving. It certainly hadn't been at home. And Keith knew it wasn't just his nature to treat everyone that way. He'd seen him be pretty callous to others who he didn't care about. Keith was also certain he could be downright cruel when he wanted to be. He'd seen Veronica struggling in the months after Lilly died, and he was pretty sure that Logan had been striking out at her in his misplaced anger over the loss of their friend and the mess that came after.

Keith had initially been shocked when he'd ask one of the nurses about visiting hours and she told him that Lynn had made a donation to the hospital to ensure they were treated well and had full access to Veronica whenever they wanted. It hadn't taken long for that surprise to wear off. Material things instead of genuine love and affection seemed to be the norm with the wealthy parents of Neptune. Of course, in this case, he was benefitting from it, so he didn't want to be ungrateful, but it made Logan all the more surprising. It also made Keith sad, to think of what Logan, and all these kids, were missing in their lives.

Keith shook his head as he glanced around the room at the elaborate bouquets of flowers and the extravagant fruit basket that Lynn had sent. If there was one thing you could expect from her, it was a grand exhibition. He snagged a tiny Satsuma out of the basket, peeling it quickly. He was out of energy to think about anything else tonight, whether it was parenting styles or what he was going to do about the people who'd tried to kill his daughter. He devoured the tangerine in two bites, then mimicked Logan's position on his daughter's bed and let sleep take over.


	4. Chapter 4

Three days, two more bouquets, and a fresh fruit basket, and still, Veronica slumbered on. The doctors assured them that she was stable and healing as to be expected, but they couldn't tell them why she wasn't awake yet. He just wanted to see those beautiful blue eyes and hear her voice again. It has been too long. Five days since Veronica's accident, and Keith thought that Logan needed to get out of the hospital for a while. It had taken some convincing, but eventually Keith's constant nagging got Logan to head back to Neptune.

"The chances of Veronica waking up within the next few hours is slim. It would be good for you to get out of here for awhile. Head home, get a real shower, and some more clothes. I'm tired of seeing the same two tee-shirts on you. And, the change of scenery will be good for you."

"It's not that much of a drive either. I'll clean up, pack a bag, and then head back. It won't take more than a couple of hours." Logan looked speculative, then seemed to make up his mind. "Fine, I'll make a run home. Wouldn't want to bother you with my sartorial choices."

Keith snorted, then, after Logan extracted the promise of a call if Veronica did wake up and left, he called Lynn to tell her to expect him. He may not have always approved of Lynn Echolls' parenting choices, but he knew that Logan would need to see her when he got home.

The one good thing that has come out of this, other than the chocolate-covered strawberries that came in the last basket, was the bond he'd created with Logan. They'd had plenty of time to talk, sharing more with each other than Keith would ever have expected. Logan had admitted his version of past events may have been skewed by jealousy and grief, breaking down as he admitted that he hadn't treated Veronica very well over the last several months. Keith tried to explain that it was difficult enough for adults to deal with that kind of tragedy, let alone for teens, but even he recognized the hollow ring of his words as he reflected on the emotional maturity of most of the adults they both knew.

Despite all the heavy conversation, they did talk about the lighter side of life. He learned that Logan was still an avid reader and enjoyed literature. He enjoyed the theatrical side of show business, taking after his mother, rather than his father, with movie premiers and the public eye. His cop senses tingled when Logan spoke haltingly of his father, but he didn't push the issue. Their new relationship was still fragile, and if there was something there that needed to be addressed, he knew he needed to build up more trust.

Keith also learned that, despite Logan's loyalty and concerns for Duncan, he was at a loss as to how to help him, and felt guilty about the fact that he'd rather hang with the Casablancas boys, where he felt at least some sense of normalcy. Talking about Duncan led to them discussing a time when Logan and Veronica were closer, and they shared their observations about how much she had changed. As he listened to Logan talk about Veronica, Keith was sure this boy he'd been spending so much time with had feelings of more than just friendship with his daughter.

* * *

Logan has been gone for two hours. Lynn had called Keith an hour ago to let him know Logan had left the house. If Logan was returning, he should've been back by now, but he didn't blame him. He was just a kid. He couldn't expect him to spend anymore time sitting here waiting for Veronica to wake up. He would call him and let him know when she did. Keith startled when he heard a duffle bag hit the wall.

"Logan, you're back!" Keith stood up and shook Logan's hand as he came back into the room.

"Yeah, you were right. The drive did help clear my head." Logan pulled the chair up and sat down beside Keith. "Thanks for making sure my mom was home. It was good to see her."

Keith grinned, looking away briefly in embarrassment that Logan knew he had called her. "I thought you would want to see her." He nodded toward the bag Logan had tossed against the wall. "I see you're still planning to stick around. I thought maybe once you got back, you'd decide you'd like life on the outside instead of just hanging out around here with an old man and a very quiet girl."

A sad look crossed Logan's face. "I'm being a nuisance. That's the real reason you sent me back."

"No, Logan, that's not true at all. I'm enjoying your company. I just didn't think you were enjoying mine." Keith ran his hands over the bald spot on his head, taking a deep breath as he avoided eye contact. "Look, I'm sorry, Logan. It's just...it's been three days. She should be awake by now. I've been sitting here hoping to see those beautiful blue eyes of hers, to just hear her voice." Keith took a moment then looked directly at Logan. "She's all I have."

Logan put a hand on Keith's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Mr. Mars. I know how hard this is for me, I couldn't imagine what you're feeling." Logan gave him a smile. "She's something. I want her back. Not the way we've been. I want what we used to have. I've always needed her, but after everything happened, I guess I just thought that if I tormented her, she would react, and at least I'd have some part of her."

Logan rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands. Keith had seen that this seemed to be his way of trying to control his emotions. "Did I tell you what she said when I finally made it to the scene?"

Keith shook his head not trusting his voice and Logan went on. "I'd been trying to get her to talk to me 'til I got there. That's how I knew where she was and what had happened. She called me out of blue and I knew I needed to get to her. When I arrived, they were loading her in the ambulance and the EMT asked her if she could give her belongings to me for safekeeping." Logan paused and took a deep breath. "She said, 'I think he's the old Logan today. I can trust him."

His voice broke in a sob and Keith saw him crumple into himself. He reached over and held the boy as he cried. He'd wondered how long it would take for Logan to finally talk about what happened and how it was affecting him, so this wasn't completely unexpected. After a few moments, he quieted, and Logan pulled away, wiping at his face. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no. You have nothing to be sorry for. You were there for her when she needed you. You need to let yourself feel, Logan. You can't just keep it all inside; it'll tear you apart and then you're no good for anyone."

"Like I was after Lilly died."

Keith shrugged, then nodded. "Maybe that's true. I just hope you'll decide to stick around and fight for her, even if she tries to push you away when she wakes up. The two of you have a lot of healing to do."

"I want to be here for her," Logan whispered.

"I'm glad to hear that. The doctor says when she does wake up she may have temporary memory loss or she just may be disoriented. You have to be prepared for that."

They fell silent, both lost in their thoughts.. Keith leaned forward, not sure what came next. He rested his elbows on the bed, holding his head in his hands. Logan had moved to the window, probably watching the traffic go by. It seemed like they were in an endless waiting game.

Keith felt Logan return to the chair beside him, pulling the bedside table with him. Keith lifted his head in time to see Logan place a deck of cards on the table with a smile. Keith smiled back, then picked up the deck and shuffled them. As he dealt the cards, Keith reiterated, "I am glad you're here Logan."

"Me too, sir."

The atmosphere became lighter as they bantered over poker, and after a few hands, Logan made his way to the vending machine for bargaining chips. They spent the next few hours playing cards and talking trash. It was the first time since this whole thing started that they genuinely laughed.

In the midst of their joy, Logan sombered and froze.

"Daddy?"

Keith turned his attention away from Logan and, for the first time in three days, he looked into his daughter's eyes. Keith barely registered Logan's voice saying that he'd get the doctor. Practically crawling onto her bed, Keith hugged his little girl, placing kisses on her temple.

"You're awake. You're going to be okay. I love you, honey."

"I love you, too." She frowned at the door. "Daddy, what's Logan doing here?"

"He's here for you. We've been keeping each other company while we waited for you to wake up. You scared us both, honey."

* * *

The doctor entered the room and Logan followed behind. Veronica's gaze turned from her father to him as he entered, and the look on her face worried him. She looked perplexed, but there was something else there that he couldn't read. Instead of continuing into the room, he backed out, then turned around and ran down the hallway to the waiting room, collapsing into the nearest chair. He sat, breathing hard, not sure what to do next. Should he just leave? He'd told Keith that he was ready to fight to get her back in his life, but now, faced with the reality of her staring him down, he wasn't sure if he really was. He'd nearly convinced himself to head for home, when Keith arrived in the waiting room.

"Logan, what are you doing here? The doctor asked for some time to examine her, but we could've just waited outside the door." Keith sat beside him and slung his arm across Logan's shoulder.

"She didn't look like she wanted me there. I didn't want to upset her," he admitted, looking at the floor.

"She is confused, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to see you. Come on back to the room and we can hear what the doctor has to say."

"Yeah, all right, if you think it's okay." Logan stood and they walked back down the hall to Veronica's room, waiting in the hallway while the doctor finished his exam. It didn't take long for him to open the door and ask them back in. Not wanting to push, Logan moved to sit on the windowsill while Keith joined Veronica at her bedside.

"Well, she's a bit confused, but I think after she gets something to eat and has a chance to talk to you both, that will diminish," the doctor said. "She isn't in much pain at the moment, so we'll monitor that and try to make sure it stays that way. I'm going to schedule an ultrasound, CT scan, and an MRI so we can get a clear picture of where she's at now and then we'll go from there." The doctor shook hands with Keith and assured Veronica that he'd get her on the dinner rotation right away. With a nod and a reassuring smile to Logan, he left the room.

"So, how're you feeling?" Keith asked.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy, I didn't mean for this to happen," she began.

"Shh...we're not going to worry about that. Right now, we are going to concentrate on getting you better and out of here, and then we'll worry about everything else. Okay?"

Logan sighed, watching Keith smiling down at Veronica, stroking her hair away from her face. He was such a loving father. Logan never got to see genuine, unconditional, parental love of a child like this. How could he have thought such bad things of them?

"It sounds like I'm going to be here for awhile, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, but we'll be here with you, every step of the way." When Keith said it, Veronica looked around him towards Logan. He thought he saw a hint of a smile on her face, but he couldn't be sure. As quickly as he saw her, she was hidden again by her father's frame.

"He's my old Logan again, isn't he?" He barely heard her whisper over the sound of the machines monitoring her.

He heard Keith chuckle at her reference. Surely he was remembering how he told him that's how she referenced him at the scene of the accident.

"He's always been the same Logan, he was just lost." Logan watched as Keith brushed his hand gently across his daughter's head. "He was hurt and didn't know how to grieve. I'd say that you haven't really done any better. Maybe what you both need is each other." He looked back at Logan with a smile, then turned back to Veronica. "What do you say? You wanna give him another chance?"

Logan sat at the window, listening to Keith explain away his behavior. He didn't deserve that. He deserved to pay for the way he had treated her. If she chose to give him this chance, he was going to make it up to her.

"Daddy, can I talk to Logan alone, please?"

"Sure, honey, I'm going to go down and get us some dinner so we can all eat together when your food comes." He stood and looked at Logan again. "Do you want something specific?"

"Oh, uh, no. Whatever you decide is good. Thanks, Mr. Mars."

Keith nodded and left the room. Logan continued to sit at the window, glancing her way, but not making eye contact.

"Logan, can you sit closer? I'm not sure I've got the energy to talk to you all the way over there." She gestured to the chair that her father had occupied earlier before dropping her hand heavily onto the mattress with a grimace. The table with the card game was still there, blocking his path. He straightened from where he sat at the window, rolling the table away from the bed, then sitting in the chair she'd indicated. He glanced at her hand where it rested on the bed. He wanted to hold it and play with her fingers like he had so many times over the last few days, but he wasn't sure she would be okay with that. He was actually pretty sure that, if she could, she'd punch him if he touched her at all. He rubbed his hands together in his lap to keep himself from doing anything stupid but Veronica turned her hand over, palm up and waved her fingers in a beckoning gesture. He watched them, then looked up to meet her gaze. She smiled and he lifted his hand, resting it on the bed beside hers. Veronica moved her hand under his, grasping onto him. He watched her movements carefully, hope blooming in his chest.

"Thank you." His eyebrows shot up at her words and her smile turned amused.

"I..." He paused, not sure what he wanted to say. He was grateful that she was letting him be here at all; holding his hand and thanking him was more than he could ever have hoped for. "I'm sorry, Ronnie. I'm so sorry I've been such a massive dick in the last year. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me."

"But you were, when I really needed you, when I couldn't help myself. You were the one who was there. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for being there when I really, truly needed you."

The forgiveness and the gratitude was too much for him. Logan reached up with his other hand, grasping hers with both of his. He squeezed, then rested his head against their clasped hands, fighting back the tears. He startled when he felt her other hand brush through his hair and he looked up at her with a smile.

"Welcome back, Mars. It's good to see you."

"Thanks, Echolls. Same here."


	5. Chapter 5

This one's a doozy! I can't wait to hear what you all think! The longest chapter yet. The story breaks just seem to work that way! ENJOY!

* * *

With Veronica awake and continuing to improve, everyone agreed that the round-the-clock shifts were no longer necessary. Keith came in to have breakfast with her, then Logan would come in later in the afternoon. He spent his mornings surfing with Dick and Keith was able to work in his busiest hours, the afternoons and evenings.

Surfing was always best in the mornings and Logan had adapted easily from his normal summer routine of lounging by the pool to making the daily drive to spend the rest of the day with Veronica. They'd had plenty of ups and downs as they learned to spend time together again. Logan knew that he was committed to being Veronica's friend again, but she was still a little hesitant with him. He understood. She was in pain, trying to recover, and he was a completely different person than the one he'd been before her accident. He did his best to be open and honest with her and he was sure it was making a difference.

Logan had noticed that she was more sad and self loathing if she couldn't get out of the room. He'd made it a point to get her out for a daily walk as soon as possible after he arrived at the hospital. She was much more pleasant during his visit when he brought snacks and got her outside.

The fresh air from their walks in combination with her physical therapy made her tired, so he kept well-stocked in books to read until dinner time. In the first week or so, she'd nodded off while he read, but over the last few days, she hasn't needed as much rest and lately, she'd been playful and mischievous, tormenting him while he tried to read, stealing his book or bumping his arm. Occasionally she'd hum tunelessly to try to distract him. They frequently ended up playing cards or working on a whodunnit. It wasn't all smooth sailing; Logan felt like the old Veronica was sometimes playing peek-a-boo with him when she turned sullen and silent, but he hadn't felt more like himself for months.

The first days weren't completely comfortable, but Logan felt things change for the better on the day he brought her a care package from his mom They had been talking about how she felt about people seeing where the side of her head had been shaved. No matter how much Logan tried to assure her that no one was noticing her head past the colorful casts she was sporting, it was obvious it was still bothering her. He'd gone home and talked to his mom, hoping she could give him some ideas of better things to say to Veronica, but Lynn had had a better idea.

Logan walked into Veronica's room one afternoon in the first week since she'd wakened and plunked a large bag at the end of the bed.

"What's that?" She gave him a quizzical look.

"It's a gift from my mom."

"Well then, hand it over." She made grabby hand gestures at him and he laughed and shook his head.

"Nope, you're getting out of bed first."

He helped her into her wheelchair, then straightened her blankets, leaving a flat surface before opening the bag and dumping it upside down onto the bed.

"You were worrying about your buzz cut, so she suggested some ways to take that pressure off. She wasn't sure what style you'd prefer so she picked out different things for you to try. You can keep whatever you like and she'll return anything you don't."

As Logan spread the items around on the bed, Veronica wheeled herself closer to get a better look. He was relieved to see the spark of interest in her eyes. She started to pull at the hats and scarves that were littered across the bed. It looked like his mom had gone nuts in a hat store; there was a little of everything in a variety of colors: neutrals, earth tones, and brights. Veronica reached for a knitted blue beanie hat. It was slightly brighter than the hospital getup she had to wear. Logan watched as she tugged it on and maneuvered herself towards the mirror.

"Do you want me to bring you some to try on over there?"

Veronica shrugged as she played with her hair around the hat. Logan covered the table with several choices, then rolled it towards Veronica. She reached for another item without even looking, and Logan had to grab a few scarves to stop them from falling onto the floor. She'd pulled the beanie off and wrapped a peach colored scarf over her head and around her neck. She looked at herself with a grimace.

"This ain't it," she said as she pulled it off and slapped it back on the table, then reached for another one.

As Logan played fitting room attendant, replacing rejected items with new choices, it seemed to him that Veronica wanted to hate this task, but it didn't seem like she was successful. The look on her face suggested that overall, she was enjoying herself. A fuzzy brown hat with long tassels seemed to amuse her. She left it on a bit longer than most of the others, pulling on each side. If he hadn't been watching her so carefully, he thought he might have missed the slight smirk she tried to hide.

Veronica had the blue beanie on again when an orderly came in to take her away for more testing.

"Hey, good look," he said, peering at Veronica in the mirror from his position behind her wheelchair.

"I agree," she responded, looking over at Logan with a smile. "I think I'll wear this one." She tugged at her hair poking out beneath once more. "Tell your mom that I said thanks."

After she was wheeled away, he tossed a couple other hats that had made her smile, including the one with the tassels, into the drawer beside her bed, then packed the rest back into the bag and made himself comfortable while he waited for her to return. More testing was a constant disruption that he was used to by now. While he waited for Veronica, he called his mom to pass on Veronica's gratitude.

"I'm so glad she liked them, honey. Whatever we can do to make her feel better. Give her my love."

Logan wasn't certain, but it felt like their friendship had continued to move in a positive direction ever since.

* * *

"Mars, you're wheels up and ready to roll."

Logan entered Veronica's hospital room pushing a wheelchair. "We've got a date in the park outside." He recognized the word he used as soon as he said it. Veronica just gave him a look and settled herself into the chair.

"Onward, Jeeves!" Her imperious expression made him laugh.

"Yes, Miss Wooster," he responded, shaking his head.

He was enjoying this new banter they had settled into. It was easy to talk to each other again, like it used to be, but there was a new bite and humor to her that intrigued him. During the elevator ride down, Logan asked what she had been up to with her dad today.

"There was this little old lady in the park this morning. She was trying to feed a bird some bread from her hand. I killed it at 500 rummy and Dad and I worked on a crossword puzzle together. I tried to get dad to talk about what's going on at home, but all he'll say is that he's been taking Backup with him at night while he works."

He thought she was finished when she fell silent, but after the elevator doors opened and they walked toward the doors to the park, she added, "He also said my only job now was to focus on healing, then school."

"I'm sorry, Veronica. You're not going to like this, but I agree with your dad." She became quiet again as he wheeled her through the park and Logan tried to find some common ground. "I'm gonna keep bringing stuff to keep you busy and pass the time. You need to stay safe so you can get better."

"Logan, I didn't set out to get hurt. Most of the time, I try to be careful. It's just...I didn't know he messed with the Mexican drug cartel. The information I had didn't suggest I'd be in danger."

When she began to open up, Logan pulled her chair over to a bench, sitting down to give her his undivided attention although the entire time she spoke, she never made eye contact. She busied herself with a loose string on her robe.

"Ronnie, that's exactly the point your dad is trying to make. You didn't have all the information and that's what put you in danger. Your dad has people he relies on to help him. When you work these cases alone, you're at risk. What's his motto? Always have backup. When your dad goes out, he tells you where he is, how long he should be gone, and how to get a hold of him. No one knew where you were or what you were doing. You have to realize you're all he has. If something worse had happened to you..."

Her focus remained on her hands but he knew she was listening. When she finally raised her eyes, she began to people watch rather than make eye contact with him, so he placed a hand over hers on the arm of the wheelchair. She turned slightly to look at his hand over hers and he noticed the dampness on her cheeks before she pulled her hand away and wiped her face. When she finally turned to him, her face was full of hope.

"Logan, do you think if I promised to work _with_ my dad instead of behind his back, he'd let me come back?"

Logan was glad he'd had the chance to spend so much time with both Veronica and Mr. Mars during her recovery. Getting the chance to get to know them again had made him feel like part of their inner circle, almost like part of the family. He knew first hand how Veronica putting herself at risk made Mr. Mars feel; they'd talked about it a lot while they waited for her to wake up. Yet Veronica's question, that he wasn't sure how to answer; he wasn't sure if even Mr. Mars would know how to answer it. He was positive Mr. Mars was proud of her and he'd admitted that he felt with the right training and guidance she could be really good at the PI business, but as an adult, not as a teenager. He also knew Mr. Mars didn't want to destroy that spark in her eyes.

"I think you need to have this conversation with your dad. If he was to agree, I'm sure it would mean no more sneaking around and lying." Logan shook his head, suddenly realizing what he was saying. "Seriously? How am I being the stabilizing influence? Do you see what you Mars' have done to me?

Veronica laughed. "My dad does have that annoying effect on people."

Logan sobered; he wasn't annoyed by it. He liked the changes in himself since he'd been around Mr. Mars. He envied Veronica for having Keith Mars as her father. A polar opposite of the influences he grew up with.

"Veronica, I wasn't complaining. You have a great dad. A lot better than what I have."

A nurse they recognized from upstairs approached, interrupting Logan. "Miss Mars, they're looking for you upstairs."

They knew there was no need to rush; 'hurry up, they need you, then wait' was the norm in the hospital. Veronica seemed irritated by the interruption, but Logan was grateful. He was pretty sure that if the conversation had gone on much longer, he might've accidentally revealed more than he wanted to. He didn't know how to tell her that he wished his dad cared enough to be as protective as her dad. The only thing Aaron cared to protect was his reputation.

Logan stood and maneuvered Veronica to head back upstairs. Although he was relieved for the break in their conversation, all the testing, combined with her continued hospitalization was worrisome. He had to keep reminding himself that they kept doing these tests to help them determine when she would be well enough to go home. They were monitoring her so closely.

As they sat in her room, waiting for an orderly to come get her, Logan tugged on the tassle of her hat. "Has the doctor talked lately about how much longer they're going to keep you here?"

"No," she said in an irritated voice, "It's been more than a month; you'd think it would be soon. I know they say all my results have to be at a certain level, but everything I'm doing here, I could be doing at home." She rolled her eyes. "Next time you come, bring some spray paint. If I start tagging the place, maybe they'll let me go."

He laughed but he knew she was frustrated. Not just about being stuck here, but everything else she was worrying about too. This life-altering mistake had cost her. He understood how she felt, but he just wished she could be as grateful as he was that she was alive. All she seemed to focus on was what she'd lost.

For Logan, her life-altering mistake had been his wake-up call. He'd almost lost her and that realization had scared him enough to change, to try to be a better person, and to be better to her. He just didn't feel able to admit that to her, so all he could do was quietly listen to her vent. As he listened, he could see her tenacity and her strength returning; she didn't look as fragile as she had even a week before.

He was thrilled to see the improvements, and he wanted her to get her way and come home as soon as possible, but his biggest fear was that when they both returned to Neptune, things would be different. It would be so much harder to maintain their renewed bond with so many other people around. He didn't want to admit that he was afraid she wouldn't need him anymore.

* * *

Veronica's life had become a rigid routine. Breakfast with her dad, then a walk through the park and around the hospital. When they returned to her room, they would have a short time to chat and hangout before lunch. She would then head to physical therapy and her dad would leave for work. Logan would show up after therapy, they'd go for their walk, and when they returned, they would work on a whodunnit mystery puzzle or they would play cards until dinner. She was usually worn out pretty early and he would wait for her to fall asleep before he would leave. This had become their routine.

There had never been any question about her dad being there for her, but she was surprised by how much she'd come to depend on Logan as well. What her dad had said the day she woke up had been right. The old Logan was always there, he'd just been lost in his grief.

She'd been skeptical in the beginning. He wasn't there for her after Lilly's death, and he'd turned into a full-on jackass for a while, but when her life was truly in danger, he'd been there and he'd never really left since.

Sometimes though, it was still hard for her to let those feelings from the past few months go, and she'd take her frustrations about her situation out on him. She'd test him, throwing verbal blows to try to set him off and get him to show his true colors. Instead, what she found was that no matter how badly she treated him, he kept coming back, even after she told him straight-out on numerous occasions to just leave. He kept telling her he wasn't going to let her down again. Eventually she gave up trying to push him away and started to believe that he really meant what he said.

That last time she'd tried hadn't been the best of days for her. In between her dad leaving and Logan showing up, the doctor informed her that they'd treated her for chlamydia before she even woke up. They found that she had the STD in the course of her other testing and the antibiotics she was already receiving had acted as treatment for it also. The doctor told her that he hadn't shared that diagnosis with her dad, but, making assumptions based on Logan's constant presence, he'd suggested that she needed to tell Logan so he too could be treated. The awkward conversation had brought up her limited memories of that night and she knew she'd acted like a jackass that day, but Logan had again proved to her that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Clearly, they should require a license to drive a wheelchair," Veronica snipped at him on their afternoon walk.

"I didn't put the crack in the sidewalk, Veronica," Logan replied patiently. His calm response irked her. "Anyway, as I was saying, Dick laid the cold ice pack on Kimmie just as Madison walked by. Kimmie screamed, jumped back, and knocked Madison into the pool." This time, it was his laughter that annoyed her.

"Why are you telling me this story?" She turned to look up at him, knowing she was being petty but unable to stop, but when she saw he was greeting two girls flirting with him as they walked past, she saw red. If he didn't want to be here, why did he keep coming every day? She grabbed the wheels, deliberately running over his foot, and started down the sidewalk on her own.

"Ow, damn it. Veronica, stop. What are you doing? You're going to hurt yourself." With his long stride, he caught up to her quickly. "What is your problem?"

"Why are you here, Logan? You are not obligated to be here, taking care of me. Clearly, you'd rather be playing in the surf and sand with your bimbos. I don't need you here; just go back to Neptune."

He looked down at her, confusion on his face, then he glanced back down the sidewalk. "I'm right where I want to be." Logan grabbed the handles of her wheelchair and began to push her forward again. "You can try to push me away, but I'm still gonna be here."

That evening, as Veronica rested, her eyes closed, Logan sat beside her reading his book. She was still angry with him and had been giving him the silent treatment since their walk. She figured that if she pretended to sleep long enough, he would leave.

She was starting to actually doze when she heard him place his book on the table and get up. She thought he was finally clearing out, but instead she heard the bathroom door close. After a few moments, the door reopened, and she felt him stand next to her bedside. He straightened her covers, then ran his fingers gently through her hair. She kept her eyes closed but felt him sit in the chair beside her again. He lifted her hand off the mattress, running his fingers lightly over hers.

"Oh Ronnie, what's it gonna take?" he whispered, and guilt over her behavior swept through her. She wasn't ready to apologize for being a jerk, so continued to feign sleep as he sat with her, stroking her hand. She didn't know how long he sat there with her because focusing on his movements lulled her to sleep.

Since that night, she'd witnessed many other acts that had proved to her that he meant what he said. When they spent time talking, he really listened to her. Right from the beginning, he hadn't made fun of her when she'd admitted being embarrassed about her injuries. Instead, he'd run out and bought markers so they could decorate her casts. He'd talked to his mom and she'd sent her all the hats to try. He was there for her every single day, no matter what. The last eight months had come close to breaking her, but she couldn't deny that having him with her was a comfort.

Today of all days, she was grateful to have him here with her. Logan let her vent without patronizing her, and she appreciated that he seemed to know when to let her be and when she needed him to say just the right thing. All she wanted to do was go home, but with each test, there was always something that kept the doctor from agreeing to discharge her. This time felt different. The doctor had sounded more optimistic, but as good as that seemed, it raised other issues and she'd gotten herself worked up about what was going to happen next. She definitely wanted to go home, but she was afraid of what was going to happen once they got back to Neptune and she couldn't talk to Logan about that.

As great as everything had been between them, she worried that pressure from his friends would pull them apart. She wanted to believe he meant it when he said he wanted their friendship, but she didn't fit into his circle of friends anymore, nor did she think she wanted to.

As the orderly wheeled her back into her room from what she hoped would be her last round of tests, she was agitated. She knew that it would be an hour or two before the doctor would stop in with her results and she didn't want to just sit around waiting and brooding over every irritating thing in her life. She was irritated that they never let her wheel herself. She was irritated that she still needed pain medication. She was irritated that she couldn't walk. She was irritated that the doctor always decided that it was too soon for her to go home.

"Okay, here we are," the orderly said as they entered the room. Logan looked up from the magazine he was reading with a welcoming grin. "Do you want help getting into bed or are you gonna stay in the chair?"

"We got it, don't worry," Logan replied and Veronica nodded curtly.

"Sounds good; see you later." He was barely out the door when Veronica turned her wheelchair around and headed back toward the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Logan asked, jumping up and jogging over to intercept her.

"I can't just sit here waiting. I need to get out of here."

"Okay, that's fine, I've got you."

"No!" she said with a growl. "I'm sick of being an invalid. I can take care of myself."

Logan nodded. "Okay." He stepped in front of her chair, then picked her up, and sat in the seat, settling her on his lap so she could control the chair herself. He looked at her with a smirk on his face.

"So, where are we headed?" he asked.

She smiled back at him. This was the Logan she appreciated and needed today, the one who understood her need to be in control. The first time she'd tried wheeling herself around the hospital, he'd walked beside her, complaining the whole time that he felt useless just following her around and thought it would be more fun to ride along. She'd been skeptical about his suggestion but now, the thought of how ridiculous they probably looked with her sitting on his lap wheeling them around made her laugh.

"Let's live dangerously. To the park?" she suggested.

He laughed back at her. "Onward, Jeeves!"

They rolled out of the room and down to the elevators, her mood better than it had been all day. This was what she needed, ridiculous fun for the next hour or so she wouldn't worry about her test results. She chauffeured Logan down to the park for a joyride, relishing in the foolishness of everyone gawking at them along the way.


	6. Chapter 6

When Logan and Veronica returned to her room, they found Mr. Mars standing at the window. He turned toward them when he heard them come in.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hi, Mr. Mars."

"Hey, kids. I heard some interesting gossip about a couple of kids taking a wheelchair out for an afternoon joyride. I had a feeling it might have been you two." Keith scooped Veronica up from Logan's lap and returned her to her bed. "The doctor called me, said he had some news that I would want to be here for."

Logan watched as the smile spread across her face. They were hoping she would get to go home. While Veronica chattered away about how she was ready to blow this popsicle stand and return home, Logan sat fiddling around in her wheelchair. As glad as he was for her, he wondered how they would manage once they were back home.

It wasn't long before the doctor came into the room. "Mr. Mars, Veronica, Logan. I have some news I think you might like."

"I'm going home!" Veronica called out in a singsong voice.

The doctor chuckled at her outburst but confirmed it. "Yes, Veronica, you're going home." He walked in further, sitting at the end of her bed with his clipboard in hand. "But, first, I have some instructions. Some you will not like, but unless you want to end up back in the hospital, you will have to abide by them. Mr. Mars, Logan, you're going to have your work cut out for you. I've gotten to know just how stubborn this one can be. It's part of the reason she has been here as long as she has."

Mr. Mars spoke up. "Veronica knows she has to listen. She wants to go home so badly and following the rules is the only way. Right, Veronica?" He gave her a stern look.

"I promise. I'll do my exercises. I'll play the dumb mind games. I'll eat, I'll rest." She punctuated her statements with dramatic arm gestures. "Can I please go home now?"

"Yes, Ms. Mars. I will sign your release papers." He stood but didn't leave, pinning Veronica with a firm gaze. "You know there's a lot more to this than what you promised. It'll all be written out in the paperwork. I've already scheduled your therapy sessions at the hospital in Neptune. You'll get your casts off in a couple of weeks and once that happens, your therapy sessions will become more frequent."

"I remember. I'm ready." Logan looked at Veronica skeptically. He was pretty sure she was just telling the doctor what she thought he wanted to hear. Luckily, it seemed like the doctor could see right through her.

"Veronica, you feel good right now, but your body is still healing. You need to understand that when those casts come off, you're going to feel like you are back to square one. You are far from hundred percent, you're closer to forty five percent. You need to understand."

Logan watched the disappointment grow on Veronica's face as the doctor spoke to her. She didn't say anything else, she just ducked her head, tucking her chin against her chest.

"Thank you, doctor." Mr. Mars said.

"Good luck. The nurse will be in shortly to let you know when the paperwork's ready. Then you'll be free to go." The doctor lifted his hand to shake Veronica's. "It's been very nice to meet you, Veronica. You are a very strong and tenacious young lady." The doctor shook Keith's, then Logan's, hands, and left the room.

Logan wheeled the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his. With all the time they'd been spending together, he'd grown comfortable with physical contact between them again and he wanted to be sure she knew he was there for her. She looked at him with hooded eyes and squeezed his hand back. Keith walked away from the bed and began to pack her belongings in the duffle bags.

"You're allowed to be happy about this, you know," Logan said. "He just doesn't want you to forget about the long road you still have ahead of you. You've been driving everyone in this hospital crazy with your antics and now you're moping. Just remember this is a good day and act like it."

"You're right." She nodded, then looked around the room. "So what do we do while we wait?"

Logan looked at the duffle bag stuffed with her hats and comfy loungewear, then at the stack of cards and games that still sat on the table. A smile spread across his face. "Wanna pack the car?"

She gave him a skeptical look. "You want me to pack the car?"

"Yeah, if you're going home, it has to be done, and it's your stuff, you should do it."

Logan glanced at Keith who had taken a seat on the windowsill watching them. His arms were crossed against his chest and he seemed to be enjoying the show. Logan looked back at Veronica and she didn't seem as amused.

"How's that gonna work now?" she asked.

"Well, we get you in the chair and pile your stuff on your lap. You can either let me drive, or I could just pick up anything you drop along the way. It's up to you."

A chuckle sounded from the windowsill at that statement and Veronica turned to glare at her father. He gave her an innocent look and she turned back to Logan.

"All right, Echolls. It does get me closer to going home." She turned toward her dad and stretched her arms out toward him. "Daddy."

Keith pushed to his feet and moved to her bedside, lifting her in his arms and carrying her to her chair. Logan grabbed the duffle and some of the loose items and placed them in her lap.

"Now, are you going to drive or am I?" Logan questioned.

Veronica tried to push the chair but she couldn't reach to complete a full rotation of the wheels with the load in her lap. "I guess you are," she said in a grudging tone. Logan nodded, then turned her chair around to exit the room. As he maneuvered her toward the door, Keith quickly stuffed more of the loose games into another bag, then grabbed his own and Logan's bags before following them to the elevator. As they passed the nurses' station, Keith greeted the nurse.

"Hi, we're going to start loading the car while we wait. Someone needs to keep busy."

The nurse chuckled and nodded. They were all well aware of Veronica's desire to go home. "It shouldn't be much longer." she said.

"That's great, thanks," Keith replied.

The ride down to the ground floor was silent. Logan was starting to realize that things were going to be changing again, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that yet. He was sure that he and Veronica were friends again, but when she wasn't trapped in the hospital, he wasn't as certain that she'd be willing to spend as much time with him any longer. "So," he said, trying to forestall the inevitable, "I was thinking. If they do move this along, we should be making it back to town just in time for dinner. I thought that maybe while the two of you settled in at home, I could stop and pick up some Italian and meet you at your place?"

Veronica and Keith exchanged glances, then Veronica shrugged her shoulders and they both nodded. Keith was the one to respond. "Thank you, son. I'm going to miss hanging out with you."

Logan looked over at him in surprise. He knew how much he'd enjoyed spending time with them, and he knew he wasn't unwelcome, but he hadn't expected to be missed. He was even more surprised at Keith's next words.

"Maybe we could plan a weekly food and game night, the three of us."

"Really?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, it would be fun!" Veronica added.

As they loaded the bags in the car, then headed back upstairs, they continued to make plans to spend time together, reassuring Logan that they would still be hanging out when they were settled back in Neptune. Knowing that Veronica still wanted him around made Logan feel much better. Keith had encouraged him to stick with it, to not give up on her, and for the past month he'd done just that. He'd tried his best to prove to her that he would always be there for her and that she was important to him. Judging from her willingness to still spend time with him, it looked like he'd done that, now he just had to make sure she didn't forget it.

The nurse's estimation on time had been right, for what might have been the first time ever, and it wasn't long before she came in with the discharge paperwork. After one month and four days, they all said their goodbyes to Sharp Chula, hoping they would never be returning.

Logan arrived home, grateful to find his house empty. He hunted down the number for the restaurant, programming it into his phone before dialing to order dinner. He knew it would probably be handy to have for future meals. He wasn't in a big hurry, knowing it would take the Mars some time to unpack and get settled in before they would be ready for company. Once dinner was ordered, he headed upstairs to take a quick shower before leaving for the Mars' favorite Italian restaurant.

When Logan arrived at the Mars residence, they'd apparently opened all the windows, because he could hear Veronica arguing with her dad. He could only guess that she hadn't wasted any time asking about still working with him at Mars Investigations. Based on what he could hear, it didn't sound like it was going well. Logan stood on the doorstep, debating if he should interrupt this much needed conversation. Not wanting the hot food to get cold, he steeled himself and knocked on the door, prepared for the worst.

* * *

Keith had settled Veronica on the couch and was putting things away, setting the games they had at the hospital on the shelf in the living room and tossing the deck of cards in a drawer. As he moved through the room rearranging things, Veronica complained she wasn't going to get to enjoy the summer sun.

"I'm no way going to get my daily dose of Vitamin D. Summer is going to be over before I even get to enjoy it."

"The windows do open, honey. See?" Trying his best to appease her, Keith opened all the windows to let the fresh air and the sun in while he finished rearranging their living space so she could access the room more easily.

With the basic floor plan in place, Keith took a moment to acknowledge Veronica's irritated ramblings. He had a feeling her complaints weren't all that was bothering her, so he decided to figure out what was really going on. "We'll get you outside plenty, once we're settled."

"With everything you have to do, you won't have time for all that," she whined.

"Maybe, after dinner, we can set you up outside by the pool."

"Logan's coming over. I don't think he wants to hang around our community pool, Dad." It was obvious there was more going on and he was pretty sure it wasn't their community pool.

"Okay, spit it out. What's bothering you?" He wasn't sure that she would answer, but when she sat up a bit and squared herself, he suspected the conversation wasn't going to be good.

"Daddy, if I promise to follow your lead, keep you informed of my whereabouts, and always take backup with me, could I please come back to work at MI when I'm able?"

Keith tried to keep his face expressionless, in spite of the sinking feeling in his gut. He'd known this conversation was going to come; he'd just hoped her accident would give him a little more time before he had to deal with it.

"Honey, you have a long recovery ahead of you." He sat in his chair, looking at her sympathetically. He knew he needed to tread lightly with this conversation.

"Dad, I can still do computer work and I can take pictures." She paused briefly before she continued. "I understand that I can't go back to doing everything all at once. I just want to know that I can when I am able."

"You're not able right now, and I'm going to have to think about it." It was the best he could offer her right now.

Veronica huffed at him and crossed her arms. "In other words, no. You're just going to keep putting me off as long as you can."

"Veronica, it's not as simple as that. You don't understand."

"I understand that you're letting your fears keep me from working with you. I could've ended up in this wheelchair by just walking across the street. I want to work at MI; I'm good at it. I know we can figure out what happened."

"I already know what happened, Veronica, and Mr. Russo is back behind bars where he belongs. This case is over as far as you're concerned."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't want you getting mixed up with this. As far as you're concerned, this is over."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Sounds like our dinner is here along with our guest." Keith stood up and walked to the door. From the nervous look on Logan's face, he'd probably heard their disagreement. "Hey, kid."

"I come bearing food, just as promised," he said, stepping inside and handing Keith the bag before turning to Veronica ensconced on the couch. "Wow, you've already got quite the setup here, Mars. You're gonna be living like the upper class, enjoying your daily pampering."

Keith chuckled at Logan's observation of his set up as he made his way to the kitchen island. He'd wanted to limit the obstacles in her way when she was in her chair but also create a space where she could be comfortable on the couch to sit, eat, do her exercises and be sociable.

"There's a table behind the couch, Logan. Can you set it up for us?"

"Sure." Logan pulled the table out and set it up in an open space where Veronica could wheel up to it. Keith carried the cartons of food and plates in and Logan grabbed two chairs and they all settled in, just like they'd done back at the hospital. The three of them sat around the table, enjoying good food and conversation, except now they were surrounded by the quaint comfort of the Mars' apartment. Keith knew the argument with Veronica was far from over, but for tonight, he was pretty sure he was off the hook.

* * *

Several days passed with no more mention from Veronica of going back to work, but Keith knew this was just the calm before the next storm. He could tell from her occasionally snappish tone that she was going crazy being stuck in the house. Logan was still coming around and getting her outside every day but there'd been more room to roam around easily in a wheelchair around the hospital. The area around their apartment complex wasn't all that wheelchair accessible.

As Keith listened to his voicemail messages one morning, about a week after Veronica came home, he heard the one he'd been waiting for from Grady. Marcus Arturo. The punk who ran Veronica off the road. Sitting at his computer, he started a background check on the name. While he waited for the results to load, he dialed Grady's number hoping to get the whole story. After two rings, Grady picked up.

"Keith, it's good to hear from you."

"Yeah, I was really glad to get your message this morning. So, you're sure this is the guy?' he asked

"Yeah, seems like it. He was overheard at a bar, bragging about teaching Mr. Russo a lesson. My informant assures me that he had all the details about the accident."

"So where is he? Do they have him in custody?" Keith asked anxiously.

"I'm sorry, Keith but no, we don't have him. Before my guy could scoop him up,members of the cartel came in and escorted him out of the bar. We can't get to him just yet. I just wanted to let you know where we're at. How's Veronica doing?"

"She's going stir crazy. We're doing our best to keep her occupied, but she's having a hard time not being able to do much without help. I can't do much for her but I just want to get this solved for her. I want to be able to tell her that we got the guy that hurt her." Keith paused and shook his head. "She's going to be difficult once she's healed. I don't think I can keep her from this business. She seems determined to follow in my footsteps."

"If you come up with a plan, I'm ready to help," Grady said.

"Thanks, Grady, I really appreciate everything you've been doing. Let me know if you have any more progress on your end too. Thanks for keeping me apprised of the situation."

The two men exchanged goodbyes and Keith focused on the screen in front of him, piecing together everything he could on one Marcus Arturo.


	7. Chapter 7

Logan stood at the sink in the Mars's bathroom washing his hands. Keith had asked Logan to come over and hang out with Veronica while he had a meeting at MI with a new client. It was late afternoon and they'd just finished watching South Park. It had been almost two weeks since they'd come home from the hospital and he was running out of things to do to entertain Veronica. The closer it got to 'casts off day'—that's what they'd been calling it—the more agitated she'd become. As he stood looking at himself in the mirror, drying off his hands, he heard a loud crash. Running from the bathroom and down the hall, he saw Veronica using a broom to knock things out of the pantry cupboard.

"Veronica, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm hungry. I'm trying to get those cookies," she said as she continued to swipe at the top shelf.

"Geez, and you couldn't wait ten seconds for me to come back in and get them for you?" Logan walked over and easily grabbed the bag, then handed it to her. In exchange, she handed him the broom and wheeled herself over to the window, opening the bag to retrieve her prize.

"No worries, Mars, I'll clean up your mess," Logan said sarcastically as he began to gather up the casualties of her attack on the cupboard. "We need to get out of here before you tear the house down. How about we head to the Boardwalk?" he suggested.

"There're people out there," she said with a pout. "They'll see us."

"Veronica, you see people everytime you go for a walk or to a doctor's appointment. What's the problem with the Boardwalk?"

She grabbed another cookie from the bag. "Yeah, but the Boardwalk is popular with people from school. People you know will be there."

Logan sighed. He made his way to her and knelt down in front of her chair, watching as she nibbled at the cookie.

"Veronica, I don't care about them. Being around them isn't going to make me go back to treating you badly ever again." He frowned at her lack of response. "Look, Dick and everyone else all know that I've been here with you since your accident. Seeing us together won't be a surprise. And they won't treat you badly either. I won't let them." She still didn't acknowledge his declaration, so he stood up, grabbed her house keys, and wheeled her out the door, locking up behind them before heading for his truck.

It was a beautiful day. The breeze and the sun felt amazing. They didn't talk much at first, both just enjoying the atmosphere as he pushed her down the Boardwalk. There were a lot of people out enjoying the late summer day. Logan recognized quite a few, but he didn't bother to greet them. Today was about Veronica; she'd been spending too much time cooped up in the apartment. The only time she'd gotten out had been to go to an appointment or take Backup for a walk. They'd walked nearly the whole length of the Boardwalk without speaking a word when they came across a magician.

"Logan, stop. I want to watch." Logan pushed her over to get a clear view of the performer. As they watched, he enjoyed listening to her laugh at the man's tricks.

"Did you catch that?" she asked quietly.

"No, what did I miss?" He leaned closer to hear her explanation.

"He pulled the card from his sleeve. I always catch them." She smiled to herself.

"Nice play, Mars," he said, squatting next to her to see it from her perspective. They finished watching the show, laughing together as Veronica continued to point out the man's sleight-of-hands.

The magician seemed to break the tension between them. As they made their way back up the Boardwalk, they talked about what they saw around them, laughing together at all the strange sights. They'd made it about halfway back up the Boardwalk when Logan noticed they were close to the ice cream shop.

"Care for some ice cream?" he asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

"Yeah!" He laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Okay, how about I park you over here by the beach and I'll go get it?"

"Sure, that works."

"Craving anything in particular?" he asked.

"Not really, surprise me. You know what I like." She turned her chair to get a better view of the beach goers.

"Yeah, I do." He watched her for a moment, enjoying the happy, peaceful look on her face before he headed off to get the ice cream.

* * *

Outside the Boardwalk Cafe, Dick approached the small table where Madison sat and set her drink in front of her. It always annoyed him that he had to pamper her before she would spend any private time with him. The movie hadn't been bad, but for some reason, he was still sitting here with a bunch of people instead of making out in the backseat of his car. Ignoring the conversation around him, Dick began to people watch. After a few minutes, he noticed Logan walking across the Boardwalk carrying two ice cream cones. Curious, Dick followed his path until he saw her. He hadn't seen Veronica in months, but Logan had been talking about her. She looked so small sitting in the wheelchair, brightly colored casts on both her legs. He watched them for a little while. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company. Dick had always believed the reason Logan had been so angry with Veronica after Lilly's death was because he loved her and was hurt that she abandoned him.

"Dick? Dick! What are you staring…Veronica!... and Logan?" The transformation from annoyance to intrigue in Madison's voice was rapid. "It looks like Little Miss Damsel in Distress finally found her way back into the inner circle. I thought Logan had finally come to his senses about her. What is it that attracts him to her?"

"Leave it alone, Madison. She almost died," Beaver said as he stood up and walked across the Boardwalk toward Logan and Veronica.. Dick looked at Madison, then back to his brother before getting up and following him. He heard Madison yelling after him.

"Dick, seriously, don't even think about calling me!"

Dick caught up to Beaver rather quickly, loudly announcing their arrival. "Logan! What's up, man? Hi, Ronnie."

"Dick, Beav. What brings you to the Boardwalk?" Logan asked.

"Dick was trying to get laid." Beaver laughed and Dick punched him in the shoulder.

"Yeah, well, having to deal with her wasn't worth it." He gestured towards where Madison sat, glaring at them. Turning his attention to Veronica, Dick smiled. "Ronnie, I like the casts."

"Thanks, Dick," she said, finishing her ice cream. "What're your plans now that you left your playthings behind?"

"I don't know, what are you guys up to?" Dick asked.

"We didn't really plan anything past getting Veronica out of the house. She's been getting cranky all cooped up waiting to get these casts off," Logan shared.

"When do they come off?' Beaver asked.

"Casts off day is Monday!" Veronica boasted.

"Casts off day?" Beaver questioned.

Logan laughed. "Yeah, that's what she's calling it. We've been counting down."

Dick watched his best friend, back to swooning over this girl. It reminded him of the time before Lilly had died when they were happy. He wasn't as close to Logan then as he was now but he guessed that when your best friend walks around in a daze, you have to expand your horizons, friend-wise. Dick always tried to be there for Logan, but he knew that it was always on Logan's terms. After Lilly died and Duncan practically disappeared, Logan had been so hurt by Veronica. Dick did whatever he could back then to keep Logan going and he'd been there for him ever since. He hoped that whatever had caused the problem between them in the first place was really fixed. Logan had always had a soft spot for Veronica back then, and even after Lilly died and they stopped being friends, Logan still seemed fixated on her. He always had a look in his eyes around her, like he couldn't get enough. The look was still there, but instead of the scowl, there was a smile. He wasn't sure, but Dick thought that there might be more than friendship in the look now, and if Logan wanted her in his life again, Dick was going to encourage it.

"I say, we get you down to the beach, Ronnie, and we can build a sandcastle," Dick suggested.

"How are we supposed to do that, Dick?" Beaver asked.

"You are going to go over there and get us buckets and shovels," Dick told him, pointing to one of the shops along the boardwalk. "Logan can carry Ronnie and I'll get the wheelchair."

They all looked around at each other, considering the plan, then Beaver shrugged and took off towards the beach shop.

"Come here, Mars," Logan said, lifting her out of her chair. Dick fiddled with it for a moment before he figured out how to fold it, then he followed Logan and Veronica onto the beach.

They set up a spot close enough to gather wet sand, but far enough from the surf that the castle wouldn't get washed away, and Veronica wouldn't be caught by a sneaky wave and get her casts wet. "It's gonna be bad enough with all the sand that I'm gonna cart home stuck in my casts," she grumbled, but from the smile on her face, Dick was pretty sure she wasn't really serious.

In the end, it had been too difficult for Veronica to sit in the sand with her casted legs, so they set her chair up again and they built the castle around her to her specifications. Logan tried calling her a princess but Dick declared that she was far too bossy to simply be a princess and began to refer to her as the Queen. She took her role seriously, telling them exactly where she wanted the towers and turrets and she made Beaver build a wall around the whole castle to keep invading armies at bay. When they were finished, they had an impressive castle. Logan asked another beachgoer to take their picture so they could show Keith when they got back. When it was time to go, Dick helped Logan get Veronica back to his car. They made plans to get together again, agreeing it was good for Veronica's mood to get out and about.

* * *

Veronica sat in Logan's car as he said goodbye to Dick and Cassidy. She had to admit it: she'd had fun today. She'd been in a despicable mood that morning, not being able to do anything, and somehow Logan and his merry men had jollied her out of that. But a fun afternoon didn't change anything. She wanted these casts off so she could get on with her life. She needed to figure out what her dad had learned about the situation that caused this problem in the first place. Beyond that, she wanted to drive her car, run with Backup on the beach, just walk across the apartment without having to be wheeled or carried. She wanted to go back to work at MI, in whatever capacity her dad would allow. None of those things were going to happen as long as she was stuck in that stupid wheelchair with these casts on her legs. Her improved mood was starting to take a dive when Logan opened the door and climbed in next to her. He was still watching Dick and Cassidy walk down the Boardwalk towards another parking lot and she let herself remember what he'd done for no other reason than to make her feel better.

"Thanks, Logan, for today," she said. He glanced at her with a smile. "I had fun."

"It was fun, wasn't it?" Logan pulled his hand away from the ignition and turned to her, resting his arm over the steering wheel. "Hey, Veronica, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?'

"Yeah. I know it's probably asking a lot, but, I thought, well, seeing how well things went today with Dick and Beav, I thought maybe we could do more stuff with friends, maybe something like a bonfire on the beach. I know you're not going to become all BFF with most of those people, but I just thought that if you were willing to let me take you out more, around everybody, you wouldn't get so much cabin fever." He paused, like he expected an answer from her, but she didn't know what to say. When she didn't answer, he continued. "You can talk to whoever you want or no one at all. We can just people watch if you want. Make fun of all of them if you want. I'm in." He smiled at her. "They all know that we're friends again so you don't need to worry about that. I haven't been hiding it from anyone, even Duncan. Just think about it, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, I'll think about it." After everything he'd been doing for her, she could at least give him that.

"Okay," he said, turning back in his seat and starting the car. "You're still okay with meeting up with Dick and Beav at least, right? If no to the bonfire, we could still maybe hang out with them."

Veronica gave him a small smile as she nodded in agreement and that seemed to satisfy Logan, who backed out of the parking space and headed back to her place. As he drove, she wondered about his suggestion. Could she stand being around everyone again after the way they treated her? Forgiving Logan was one thing; he'd had a reason to be upset with her and he'd made up for everything in the last couple of months. All those other people...they'd just treated her like crap because Logan did and they were sheep. None of them had ever really been her friends in the first place. Then again, it wasn't like a bonfire on the beach was really hanging out with them anyway. It was more like going out someplace public where everyone happened to be. She worried though, with these casts on her legs, she was guaranteed to be stuck wherever Logan left her. She wasn't sure if he'd do that. She was always expecting him to, but he'd surprised her again and again. Still, she hated having to depend on someone else. She hated even more how attached to Logan she'd become. She remembered this feeling from before, before Lilly died, when they were all so close. She was still a little afraid of what would happen if she lost that, lost Logan, again.


	8. Chapter 8

"It's Casts Off day!" Veronica bellowed, wheeling her chair down the sidewalk towards the automated doors of Sharp Chula Vista. Logan and her dad had both tried to spoil this moment by reminding her that the doctor said she wasn't going to be as happy to have them off as she thought, but nothing was going to ruin this for her.

"Veronica Mars."

"That's me!" She wheeled herself forward but then stopped and glared back at Logan and her dad who had risen to their feet behind her. "You two stay put." She didn't need them hovering; they were always hovering.

Her dad looked like he wanted to protest, but Logan nodded and spoke up.

"Okay, well, good luck. We'll be right here when you're done, Mars."

She narrowed her eyes at him, then frowned at her dad, before turning back to wheel herself down the hall following the nurse.

"Right in here, Miss Mars." He locked the brakes on her wheelchair, then lifted her onto the table. "The doctor will be in to see you shortly."

Veronica lay back on the examining table, counting the holes in the acoustic tile as she waited. A short while later, the doctor came in and sat down on his wheeled stool and she pushed herself upright to talk to him.

"By yourself today, Veronica?" he asked.

"I made them stay in the waiting room," she confessed. ""No one but my doctor needs to see my legs after so long in these casts."

"Well, and the orderly who'll actually do the removal, but he'll never tell," the doctor said with a smile. He explained what would be happening with the cast removal and that she should expect pain. "You're going to get walking boots once the casts are off, but don't let the name fool you, you're still going to need the wheelchair. Once you're ready, you'll transition to a walker. The physical therapy is going to help you work on your weight-bearing, but it's going to take time and a lot of work on your part. Your physical therapist will decide when you're ready to move on throughout the process."

Veronica grimaced. This wasn't new information, it was basically what Logan and her dad had been trying to tell her earlier, but it was still disappointing. At least the boots would be removable.

There was a tap on the door and the orderly stepped inside with a rotary saw. "Miss Mars, you ready to be free of those?" the doctor asked, gesturing towards her casts.

"You have no idea," she said.

"Okay then, go ahead and lay back again. We need you to stay still; don't try to move or lift your legs until I tell you to. Okay?"

Veronica nodded and leaned back, scooting further up the table as the orderly directed. She lay as still as possible, trying not to flinch at the sound and vibration of the saw cutting through the casts. She smiled when the top sections of the casts were lifted away and the cool air hit her legs, but her nose wrinkled at the smell that drifted up to her. _So glad Logan's not in here._

"All right, let's get some quick pictures," the orderly said, moving a portable x-ray machine over to get current images. He then moved to the computer while the doctor returned to her side.

"It won't take long for these to come up so we can see them, but in the meantime, I'll give you some instructions. You need to soak your legs in warm water at least twice a day for twenty minutes. Be gentle when drying off; your new skin is delicate. Lastly, do the exercises despite the pain. The more you move, the quicker your muscles will strengthen."

"The images are up, Doctor."

He glanced over at the computer screen and smiled. "These look good. You've healed well. Now, let's try to move." The doctor reached for her left leg, just above her ankle. "I'm warning you, this isn't going to be pleasant."

She wrinkled her nose at his words but nodded and he lifted her leg slowly. Veronica screamed out in pain and the orderly slid the bottom section of the cast out from under her leg. The doctor put her leg down gently, then moved to the right, repeating the process. She wanted to cry, regretting that she'd told her dad to wait outside.

"I'm sorry, Veronica, I know it hurts." His face was sympathetic. "We're going to get your walking boots on so we can stand you up but before we do that, the nurse is going to wash your legs."

He stepped aside, making room for the nurse who'd entered the room, carrying a basin of water and cloths. She gently washed Veronica's legs, then patted them dry before slathering them with lotion. With that job done, Veronica watched as the doctor removed the plastic from the boots then carried them over to her. He showed her how to put them on and how to work the air pumps.

"How does that feel?" he asked.

"They're not as heavy as the casts," she responded, trying to be positive.

"I'm sure they aren't. Ready to try and stand up?"

She hesitated, then asked, "Can my dad come in first?"

"Of course, I'll go get him. Logan too?" She nodded. "Okay, I'll be right back." He walked out of the room and she flopped back on the table again. She should have taken what the doctor had told her more seriously. Why was she so stubborn? It wasn't long before her dad came in, Logan following behind him.

"Look at you, sweetheart. Those aren't as colorful as your previous accessories," her dad said, kissing her on the temple.

"Yeah, well, at least I can take these off," she deadpanned.

The doctor caught them up on what was going on. "When we tried lifting Veronica's legs off the table, it was extremely painful. We've fitted her two new boots and we were about to stand up, but she wanted you to join her before we tried it. Now, if the two of you could each stand on either side of her and I'll stand in front, I'd like her to just try and stand up for a few seconds. Then we'll get her into her wheelchair."

With her dad already next to her and the doctor in front, Logan moved to her other side. He placed his hand on her back, rubbing gently. She was grateful for the gesture and returned his smile, then took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Ready, Veronica?" the doctor encouraged.

"No," she replied.

Logan put a little pressure on her back and she looked up at him, eyebrows raised.

"Cowboy up, Mars." His teasing smirk made her roll her eyes.

The doctor leaned down, adjusting the step at the foot of the bed until she could feel it beneath her boots. "Okay, Veronica, your dad and Logan are going to get you up onto your feet, then let you hold your own weight. Not for long, though, just for a few seconds. They'll be right there to support you if you need them. I'll be here in case you lose your balance going forward. You ready?"

She drew in a deep breath. "Let's do this." She let herself be lifted upright by her bent arms, then her dad and Logan slowly let her take her weight on her feet. Pain shot up through her legs and if they hadn't been supporting her, she was sure she would've crumpled to the floor. She continued to take deep breaths, working through the pain. She was doing it. She hadn't realized that tears were falling from her eyes until Logan wiped his finger across her cheek. The doctor stepped back and retrieved her chair, then they helped her turn and lowered her off the step to sit in her chair. She gave a sigh of relief to be back off her still-healing legs.

"Good work, Miss Mars. That is your first exercise. You need to work on leg lifts and standing for short periods of time. We'll keep you moving from there. The therapist will teach you new exercises as you progress."

"How long do you think it will be before I can get around without all the pain?" Veronica asked.

"It might take a couple of weeks. Take your pain pills; do your exercises. Everytime you transition from your wheelchair, try and stand for a count of ten. When there's no longer any pain, increase the count by ten. One day at a time, Miss Mars. Don't get discouraged and I'll see you in a month."

The doctor motioned them towards the door, and Logan pushed Veronica out of the room and down the hall. As Logan steadied her chair, her dad helped her stand, then rotate into the car. She wanted to cry as the pain shot up her legs again. When they got home, Logan lifted her out of the car, helping her stand for a moment before sitting in the chair. By the time she reached the couch, she was exhausted, not sure if she wanted to sleep or cry. She held it together long enough to take her medication, then she closed her eyes for a nap.

* * *

Logan watched Veronica cry from the pain of putting weight on her legs and he could hardly keep himself from picking her up and doing anything he could to keep her from being hurt again. Instead, he wiped the tears from her cheek and rubbed her back. When they got back to the apartment, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep on the couch. He and Keith sat in the kitchen playing cards while she rested. An hour later, Keith got a call and had to leave so Logan pulled a book from the bookshelf and moved to the couch to sit next to her. He wasn't far into the second chapter when Veronica woke up.

"Well, hello, sunshine." Logan smiled down at her, closing the book and dropping it onto the end table.

"Was I asleep long?" she asked, her voice still groggy.

"A couple of hours. It would probably be a good idea if you got up on your feet for a minute. What do you think?"

"Yeah, you're right." She sounded completely unenthused by the idea. "I've been wanting the casts to come off for so long so I could get around, and now..."

Logan stood and moved to stand in front of her. "And now, you're going to stand for a count of ten and it's gonna suck, but tomorrow it's gonna suck less and less the day after that, and before you know it, you'll be running all over again and terrorizing your dad and I." He held out his hand to her. "Am I right?"

She huffed a tiny laugh and took his hand. "You're right." She let him tug her into a seated position and settled her feet lightly on the floor. She winced a little as she put more pressure on them.

"I'm not sure I know how to stand up anymore," she said sadly.

"You don't need to today," he responded. "I got ya." He reached down and put his hands around her waist. "You ready?"

She nodded and he lifted her gently to her feet. She gasped as the pressure built on her legs and her arms came up to wrap around his waist.

"Okay?" he asked and she nodded, her eyes pressed tightly shut, as she counted under her breath. He stared down at her, clinging to him. He relished the feel of her in his arms and Logan made a mental note to help her stand like this as often as possible.

"Are you sure you still want to go tomorrow?' he asked, trying to distract himself from the thoughts he was having with his arms around her. She drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly before she answered.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not going to get any better if I don't get out, stay active. Nine...ten. Please help me into the chair."

"Ronnie, I know this is more painful than you thought it would be. We don't have to go." Logan turned her around and helped her sit down in her wheelchair. He barely had time to move out of the way before she pushed past him into the kitchen.

"If you don't want to be seen with me at the bonfire, just say so. Don't try and turn this around on me. I'm fine." He gaped at her as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. He'd just been trying to figure out how to get her in his arms more often and she thought he didn't want to be seen with her?

"Look, I'm not having this argument with you. You know that's not it. I just know how hard it is for you to be around these people when you're feeling your best. I don't want you to feel like you have to go if you don't want to." Logan tried his best not to snark back at her. Getting defensive wasn't going to help.

Veronica sat at the window, sipping on the bottle of water. Logan stood back, watching her, giving her time to get past whatever was bothering her. He was pretty sure he was getting better at reading her cues, just like old times. When she put the lid back on the bottle, he smiled as she turned around and wheeled her chair to sit in front of him.

"Can we wait til tomorrow to decide?" she asked. She didn't look at him at first but when she raised her head and made eye contact, she was smiling. "I was kinda looking forward to going. Getting to sit around the fire, making fun of your friends acting like idiots." She turned around and moved back towards the door. "I also know you have a point. I'm just not sure I'm ready to decide right now."

Logan shrugged and stepped behind her, grabbing the handles of her chair and heading for the door. "Works for me. So, how 'bout we head out for a bit? Go for a walk, get some fresh air." Veronica nodded in response.

* * *

Veronica looked out over the water, watching the moon glistening over the waves. The warmth of the fire and the view of the ocean were a couple of the reasons she was glad that she'd chosen to come to the bonfire. When Logan had mentioned how difficult this might be for her, she'd gotten worried that the 09er girls might start something, but instead she was sitting in front of the fire with an amazing view. They couldn't take this from her unless she let them. The other reason she was glad to be here was off getting them both something to eat. Logan had been amazing. All the worrying about how things might change when they returned to Neptune seemed senseless now. Everything had been going great between them.

"Spectacular, isn't it?" Logan sat down on the log next to where her chair was parked, handing her a plate and setting the cans of soda in the sand.

"It really is. I'm glad I came." She smiled at him as she picked up the hot dog from her plate.

"I am too." Logan picked up his own hot dog and took a bite. "It was pretty cool of Dick to lay out the tile path to wheel you down here."

Picking at the bun of her hot dog, she smiled. "He's being awfully nice; any idea what that's about?"

Logan laughed. "No idea."

"Everyone seems to be too busy enjoying themselves to bother with little ol' me. I guess we worried for nothing." Veronica didn't want to jinx their luck but she was grateful to be ignored.

Logan cleared his throat, concentrating really hard on the fire in front of them. She could tell he was avoiding looking at her. "You can thank Dick for that too." She could see the edge of a smile forming on his face as he spoke.

"What?" She couldn't hide the shock in her reply.

Logan tilted his head to look at her, a smirk on his face. "It appears 'our'–" Logan motioned between the two of them "–friend Dick, suggested to everyone that they should avoid ruining your much-needed night out." Logan glanced back towards the fire, seemingly fixated on the flames. She watched him for a moment, before noticing the tension that had formed in his features. Veronica followed the direction of his gaze and froze at the sight of Duncan. He hadn't changed since the last time she saw him. The blank stare in his eyes made her uncomfortable, but she didn't want to deter Logan from spending time with his best friend.

"If you want to go hang with him, I am okay here by myself. With Dick's warning and all, I don't see there being a problem."

Logan turned to look at her again, a skeptical look on his face, then shook his head. "I don't know what to say to him anymore," he admitted.

She understood; he wasn't the same Duncan they used to know. She nodded back to Logan in understanding, glancing again in Duncan's direction before re-focusing on her hot dog.

Logan sat up, squaring himself and rubbing his hands on his legs. "How about I get us some supplies for some s'mores?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan." She smiled and nodded, grateful for the change of subject.

* * *

Everyday, Veronica stood longer and longer on her own. Pushing herself to get better, she would ask for help doing her exercises several times a day. By her next doctor's appointment, she'd already added three more exercises to her daily regimen and been released to use the walker to get around the house. She was so much stronger and independent already, and Logan missed the days when he'd gotten to hold her in his arms. She only seemed to have pain toward the end of her physical therapy sessions these days. It wouldn't be long before she didn't need him at all. Instead of her recovery taking months, she was progressing every week. By the time school started, she was still using the walker, but the wheelchair and walking boots were things of the past.

"Veronica, wait, please," Logan pleaded. She still wasn't allowed to drive, so Logan drove her to school everyday. She was trying to get out of the truck on her own and he was afraid she was going to fall out. Logan rushed around the front of the truck, taking the walker from her and setting it up on the pavement. Veronica was working at putting on her backpack and Logan reached to help her down.

"I'm going to get to a point where I can do this on my own, Logan," she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I know, Ronnie, but until then, I'm here for you." He shut the door as she made her way across the parking lot. Reaching the sidewalk, Dick and Beaver joined them.

"Morning, Ronnie, Logan, how's it going?" Dick greeted them.

"Hey, Dick," Veronica replied. "What's for lunch today?"

"Dunno, what do ya think, Chinese or pizza?'

"Chinese please, I really want spring rolls," she suggested with a tilt of her head. Beaver and Logan laughed.

"Make sure you get enough that the rest of us get a few," Logan teased and Dick nodded.

"Will do, see you fourth period." Dick took off down the south hallway while Logan followed Veronica to her locker.

He was helping her put the books for her first few classes in her backpack when he noticed a file in her bag. Pulling it out, he recognized the name on the case file.

"Veronica, what is this?" Logan could have sworn he saw panic cross her face, but if it had been there, she hid it quickly. Then she sighed.

"I need to know what happened, Logan. Dad won't tell me so I'm gonna have to figure it out on my own. I'm getting stronger everyday and it won't be long before I can go down there and find out who did this to me." Logan felt the fear down in the pit of his stomach. This was her plan the whole time. Instead of talking to her dad about it, she was ready to start sneaking around behind his back again.

Logan lead Veronica into an empty computer room and sat down, moving the walker aside so he could sit in front of her.

"Veronica, I understand you want someone to pay for what happened to you, but this is a Mexican drug cartel. They almost killed you." Logan felt a lump growing in the back of his throat. He wanted to yell at her but he knew she wouldn't listen to him. All he could do was try to get her to understand. "I almost lost you once to this; please, please go to your dad. I'll go with you."

She looked at him forlornly.

"What happens if he doesn't listen, Logan? Then what?"

"We won't stop until he does. Please, we'll go to his office right after school." He took her hands and helped her stand, not because she needed it, but because he did. Instead of giving her the walker, he wrapped his arms around her and held on until the feeling in his stomach subsided.

* * *

Sitting on the couch in MI as they waited for her dad to finish on the phone was nerve wracking. Logan sat beside her, his leg bouncing nervously. Veronica had tried so many times to talk to her dad about the case and her working, but he kept shutting her down. She felt a little better that she had Logan to help her this time. She knew he would help her dad understand how important this was to her. She placed her hand on Logan's knee, stilling his movements. They made eye contact and were staring at each other when her dad's office door opened.

"Veronica, Logan, what brings the two of you here?" he asked when he noticed them.

"Veronica needs to talk to you, Mr. Mars," Logan said earnestly, turning to offer her a hand up. "Do you have a few minutes?"

"Of course. Come on in the office and we'll talk."

Veronica let Logan pull her to her feet and they followed him back into the office. Her dad seemed open and friendly and she thought Logan's plan to present a united front might just work after all.

As they settled into their chairs, her dad folded his hands on his desk and looked at her with his full attention, just like he did when he was talking to a client. For some reason, that made her nervous. When no one said anything, her dad spoke. "So, what's going on, Veronica?"

Veronica glanced at Logan and he smiled encouragingly, gesturing for her to go ahead. She took in a deep breath to steel herself, then turned back to her dad. "Okay, here's the thing. I need to know what happened in Tijuana. All of it."

"Veronica," he sighed, but before he could repeat the same arguments he'd been making for weeks, Logan jumped in.

"Look, Mr. Mars, if you don't tell her she'll just look into it herself. She's already started. I told her that if she explained how important this was to her, you'd understand, and if you understood, you'd explain. You know she won't stop until she knows the truth. Wouldn't it be better if the two of you did it together rather than her trying to do it behind your back? If she at least knew what happened to her? If she understands the stakes, she can make better choices."

Veronica watched Logan with a smile. He'd stood up to her dad for her. He was on her side. She shifted her glance to her father and she was pretty sure he was wavering. He wasn't wearing that ironclad 'no' look he'd had on his face every time she'd brought this subject up.

"All right, Veronica," he finally agreed. He turned his chair to access the safe on the floor behind his desk. Opening it, he pulled out some files and laid them in front of her on the desk.

"The man who ran you off the road is named Marcus Arturo. He is a lacky for the cartel. He was trying to prove his worth to them by teaching Frank Russo a lesson."

"How does running me off the road teach Frank Russo a lesson?" Veronica asked.

"Well, inexperienced daughter of mine, when you went to the bar pretending to be Mr. Russo's daughter…"

"This guy mistook me for his daughter," Veronica finished his statement. He nodded his head in agreement.

"So he's in custody?' Logan asked.

Keith glanced at Logan. "No," he said, looking back to Veronica. He crossed his arms across his chest. "The cartel has him. Until we can flush him out away from them, we're at a stand still."

"So he gets away with it?" Veronica asked. That didn't sit well with her.

"I have people working on it, Veronica. That's the best we can do for now. Mexican drug cartels are not generally organizations you want to take on. We have to be smart about this."

"But, you're going to find him. He won't get away with this. Right?" Veronica demanded.

Keith sat forward, leaning his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands in front of him. "Honey, you have to know that I'm doing everything in my power to get this guy. We just have to play it smart. I told you my contacts are working on it. They are keeping me informed. But right now, the cartel has no idea who Veronica Mars is or that you're even a part of this whole mess and I intend to keep it that way."

Beside her, Logan ran his hands down his thighs, then rested them on the edge of her dad's desk, drawing in a deep breath. "Mr. Mars, when you hear something, can you tell us? If she knows as you know…" Logan glanced over at her. "You'll let your dad handle it, right?"

Could she? She looked back and forth between the two of them, recognizing the concern on their faces. "Yeah," she finally agreed, nodding her head.

* * *

Veronica couldn't stop thinking about how much Logan standing his ground with her dad had meant to her. After all the times he'd taken her dad's side when she complained about it before, she didn't have much hope that he would stand by her now. She was so grateful.

"Hey, you okay over there?" Logan's voice interrupted her thoughts as he settled in the driver's seat.

"Oh, yeah." She turned in her seat to face him. "Thank you for that in there. I wasn't sure, but you helped. It means a lot that you did." She hoped that he wasn't offended that she hadn't trusted that he would take her side instead of her dad's. It wasn't that she didn't trust _him,_ it was more that she thought he might have gone along with the total shutout that her dad had been trying.

"Veronica, I'm always on your side. Even when we disagree, I've always got your best interests at heart." He put the key in the ignition and turned the car on. "Someday, Mars. You'll see. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and sound."

"I know that, but that's what my dad wants too. It's the part where you helped me at least find out what was happening that I really appreciate."

"Safe and sound _and happy_ ," he corrected. "That's how I like my Veronica."

She smiled at him, trying not to hear 'my Veronica' the wrong way, before shyly turning toward the window as he pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Keith rested his head in his hands, applying pressure in an attempt to relieve the growing headache his daughter had just evoked. He was convinced his male pattern baldness was actually due to his precocious daughter. He was grateful she had stuck to Logan after coming home from the hospital since it looked like Logan's protective nature was helping to keep her in check. She never would've come to him without Logan's encouragement; she probably would have just chased the case to Mexico again.

Grady had sent him an update that he hadn't had time to review yet, but that wasn't something that either Logan or Veronica needed to worry about. However, now that she knew some of the details about what had happened to her, he felt a renewed sense of urgency to move the case along. He pulled the file from his desk and slid Grady's notes and photographs out.

Marcus Arturo was living in the lap of luxury among the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The Jalisco's rapid territorial expansion was characterized by the organization's willingness to engage in violent confrontations with Mexican Government security forces and rival cartels. This particular group was in a major war with the Sinaloa Cartel, vying for control of drug distribution in the United States. _Of course,_ Keith thought to himself. _If Veronica had to mess with a Mexican drug cartel, of course she picks the most violent one out there._

He continued to pore over Grady's notes. Mr. Arturo was native to Tijuana and his extended family remained there. Looking over the background check, Keith decided the best chance of getting to the man was likely to be through his family, particularly his grandfather. The old man was pushing ninety years old; it certainly wouldn't be hard to believe if he had a health scare. Cartel member or not, it looked like Mr. Arturo took his familial ties seriously and if he got wind that his _abuelo_ was in ill health, maybe even dying, it seemed likely that he'd come to visit. Keith knew that he would need some help pulling this off but it looked like it would be his best chance.

Keith picked up his phone and dialed Grady's number.

"Grady, hey, it's Keith. I think I have a plan but it's going to take some doing."


	9. Chapter 9

Veronica stood leaning against the wall next to Logan's locker. She'd left class a little late, but she didn't think she could have missed him. There was plenty of people still wandering the halls. Shelley and Madison stood against the opposite wall, glaring at her as they whispered to each other. Veronica shifted her attention further down the hall to see Kimmie and Susan doing the same. This was a mistake; why did she think things could possibly change? Logan may have put a stop to the bullying and the pranks, but he couldn't change their mean girl ways.

"Hey, Ronnie," DIck called as he came up behind her.

"Hey, have you seen Logan?" she asked, trying to hide her emotions.

"Uh, yeah, he was here, but he already left," Dick answered as he opened his locker and carelessly tossed his books inside. Veronica saw him glance in the direction she was staring and then back to her.

"He's my ride." This time she didn't even try to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"He wouldn't leave you, Ronnie. He's probably just waiting for you outside." She looked at him and he was looking back at her with caring eyes. "Hey, how about I walk you out and prove it to you, and if for some unforeseen, cataclysmic reason he isn't out there, I'll give you a ride." She smiled at the absurdity of his statement and Dick slung his arm over her shoulder as they headed outside. As they passed the 09ers who moments ago had been gossiping about her, he saluted them.

Exiting the building, Veronica could clearly see the yellow monstrosity sitting in its usual spot. As they got closer, she could see Logan sitting in the driver's seat, chatting with John Enbom through his open window. The sight of him infuriated her, but Dick didn't seem to notice.

"See, Ronnie, right where he should be. I'll catch you later." Dick walked off down the row of vehicles towards his own.

* * *

Logan sat in his Xterra, chatting with whoever walked by to keep himself from going back into the school to find Veronica and escort her back out to his car. She was able to walk without assistance now and whenever he tried to help her, she got upset and accused him of coddling her. She'd pushed herself like crazy to regain full mobility and he'd gotten more concerned with every passing day that she was doing this so she could get back into the investigation that Keith was trying to keep her out of. Either that or stop having to rely on him so much.

When swimming had been added to her list of exercises, Logan took advantage of the new therapy to distract her from the investigation with swimming in his pool every day after school. His plan had served its purpose: Veronica got to push herself in the healing process and he kept her close and too busy to hound her dad about the case.

They knew Keith had been in TJ several times over the past weeks and Veronica was agitated that he wouldn't talk about it. She'd complained this morning that her dad had been having hushed phone calls with cryptic conversations. Logan had tried to reassure Veronica that it meant that the case was coming to a head and she would get her justice soon. She just needed to let her dad do his job and she needed to do hers, recover. That hadn't gone over very well.

Logan had also used the swim sessions as a way of easing Veronica back amongst the 09ers. He was careful to make it casual, inviting Dick over, and he would frequently arrive with a couple of extras. Veronica seemed okay with it for the most part, focusing more on swimming laps in the pool than socializing with the likes of Madison, Carrie, or Susan. She did seem to enjoy Meg Manning's company on occasion and she'd gotten comfortable with Dick, Beaver, and even Casey. He had to admit she was trying. Not that any of them deserved it. The more time he spent with Veronica, observing the 09ers from her perspective, he realized that most of them were only there for the perks of hanging out with a movie star's son.

Today there would be no social gathering. Logan had advised Dick to entertain the masses somewhere else. Today it was just going to be Logan and Veronica. The physical therapist had wanted Veronica to add weights to her ankles while swimming and it hadn't gone well during her session at the rehab center, so he wanted her to have some privacy as she continued to work through the process. She'd been determined to get back behind the wheel of a car, which had been why she was pushing herself so hard. Logan wasn't sure why she was in such a hurry considering she no longer had one. The Le Baron was a total loss. He was pulled from his thoughts when the passenger door opened.

"I know that I told you to stop hovering but that didn't mean you had to avoid me completely. I was waiting at your locker and had to find out from Dick that you'd already headed out here." As she slammed the car door, it was obvious to him how annoyed she was.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you wanted me to wait for you." He looked at her with frustration. "Your mood swings are giving me whiplash."

This was not how he wanted today to go. The more independence she gained, the more he struggled with how they should interact.

"The novelty has clearly worn off," she said, her voice bitter.

Logan took a deep breath, trying to regain control of the situation. "Veronica." He looked over at her, but she was staring out her window, avoiding him. He sighed as he pulled out of the parking lot. He'd give her a chance to cool off and then try again.

The drive to his place was quiet; she stared out the window the entire drive. As he parked the Xterra in his usual spot, he was shocked when Veronica barely gave him a chance to turn off the ignition before she had the door open.

"Veronica, wait. " Surprisingly, she turned to look at him and her eyes were shiny with tears. At the sight, he could feel his heart breaking for her.

"Ronnie, I wish you would stop trying to push me away." His admission seemed to stall her as she sat back in her seat, her chest rising as she drew in a deep breath. "I've missed you so much and now that I have you back in my life, I want you to stay." He heard the emotion rising in his voice, but he didn't care if she heard it too. More than anything else, he needed her to understand what he was trying to say. "I know that I've done horrible things. I plan on making it up to you for as long as you'll let me, but every time I try to do what you ask, it backfires on me."

She continued to stare ahead out the windshield and Logan couldn't take it anymore. He rested his head back on the headrest, closing his eyes as he tried to calm himself. When the soft sound of crying filled the car, he raised his head and focused on her sitting beside him, her shoulders rising as she curled into herself.

"Veronica, please don't cry." He tried rubbing his hand over her back.

She sat up, shrugging him off as she swiped her hands over her face, then turning to face him. "I don't know how to do this, Logan. I can't keep pretending to be friends with these people. I don't fit in your world anymore. You left me in there with them, gawking at me, thinking that I'm riding on your coattails."

"I didn't want to. I only did it because I thought that was what you wanted. You're so much stronger now and pretty soon you're not going to need me anymore." He looked away, suddenly embarrassed. "You're already pushing me away. I don't want to lose you, but I'm afraid that's what's happening."

She froze, and he looked at her again, surprised to find her staring at him, wide-eyed. A tear escaped down her cheek and she swiped at it before answering him in a voice barely more than a whisper. "I don't want to lose you either."

Logan reached out and caught her hand in his, smiling at her. "No risk of that."

They sat for a moment, and Logan could feel the emotion of the conversation settling between them. He'd felt for a while that they kept taking strides forward before sliding two steps back, but this one felt like a win. Feeling hopeful, he decide to take a chance and test the waters. "I thought it could be just us today?" he asked cautiously.

A smile formed on her face. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

His smile widened to a grin and he squeezed her hand, then slid out of the car, waiting for her to come around the front so they could head out back to the pool.

* * *

While Logan was inside gathering lemonade and snacks, Veronica sat at the edge of the pool strapping weights to her ankles. She'd been grateful to Dick earlier when Logan had disappeared and he'd still stuck by her with the 09er girls. She really hadn't meant to give Logan mixed signals, especially ones that ended up upsetting her too, but she was so confused when it came to how she felt. He'd proven time and time again that he was on her side, but she couldn't completely forget the feelings of abandonment she'd experienced after Lilly died and Logan turned on her.

She'd always had a bit of a crush on Logan back in the old days, even when she was with Duncan and he was with Lilly. Despite having grown up in a world of entitlement, Logan had never made her feel like she was less. Even with as much as she knew Lilly loved her, she had occasionally felt that way hanging around the Kanes. She knew they didn't mean to, but sometimes she felt it anyway. Logan's protective, caring nature made it easy to fall for him, even when it was clear he was Lilly's. With Lilly gone and Logan back in her life, those feelings had returned and it was getting harder every day to ignore them. Logan's words in his truck resonated with her; she _was_ pushing him away. He was right. She realized that as long as he kept pushing back, she felt reassured that he cared, but she knew that if she couldn't get a handle on her fears, it was probably going to ruin their friendship.

"Alright, Mars. You ready for a swim?"

Veronica looked up in surprise. Logan had apparently made it out with the snacks without her even realizing it and now he was calling to her from the diving board. She gave him a smile which he returned before diving in. She watched him swim toward her under the water, surfacing right in front of her. He reached up and took her hands, tugging her into the cool refreshing water.

"You okay?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah," she answered, her voice husky from the lump in her throat. She needed to apologize but it was harder to do than she'd expected. "Logan."

"It's okay, Veronica." He sounded certain, as if he knew what she was trying to say, but he couldn't. He couldn't know how often she fought the urge to wrap herself around him and hold on. He couldn't understand how terrified she was that if she did tell him how she felt and he decided to return to his hurtful ways, it would break her.

"No, Logan, please. Let me say this." They stood in the cool water, Logan bracing her as she clung to his forearms for support.

"I'm sorry that I've treated you like crap for so long. It's like I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop and, I guess it seemed like it would hurt less if I didn't let you in like before. I don't want to do that anymore."

She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact, uncomfortable with all the sharing. Instead, she concentrated on her hands wrapped around his arms, stroking her thumbs across his skin. Logan stepped back and pulled out of her grip but then caught her hands in his. He continued to move into deeper water, pulling her with him until she began to float across the water. A couple of hard kicks propelled her toward him and she caught up to him quickly, catching him around the neck. He let go of her hands and grabbed her hips, then laughed nervously.

Veronica echoed the nervous laugh as she searched his eyes for a hint of what he was feeling. "I am sorry, Logan."

"Me too."

* * *

It took all of Logan's willpower not to kiss her. When she told him she wanted to trust him, his heart swelled in his chest, and when he saw her struggling with her emotions, he'd tried to lighten the mood by pulling her further into the pool.

Her next action caught him off guard. She swam right into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Without even thinking, he did what felt like the most natural thing, grabbing her waist and pulling her close, and he would have kissed her but he came to his senses in time. When she apologized, he managed to respond, and then he broke free of their embrace before he did anything else stupid, sinking under the water to escape her gaze and his feelings. He surfaced on the other side of the pool, facing away from her as he ran his hand over his face, trying to regain his composure. When he turned back to her, she was swimming toward him, so just before she reached him, he dove back under the water, making his way to the other side of the pool. He rationalized that he wasn't running away, he was simply doing what they came here for: swimming laps.

They both managed twenty laps before they called it quits and dropped into the lounge chairs poolside. Logan had gotten his emotions under control and they chatted easily for a while before they both fell asleep.

Logan woke to a text from Keith asking him to have Veronica home by five. As he watched her sleeping form stretched across the lounge chair, he wondered how long it would take for him to move past his feelings this time around. It had been easier when he was able to lose himself in Lilly, especially when he saw the way Duncan looked at her, but now, Duncan was a walking zombie and Lilly was gone. Things were different now. The more they became friends like they'd been in the past, the harder it became to deny that he didn't want to be just friends.

Veronica stirred in her sleep, jerking slightly. He rose from his chair and moved to her side, kneeling next to her. He brushed the hair from her face and ran his other hand down her arm.

"Ronnie, wake up. It's time to go home."

"Lo?" she answered groggily.

"Yeah, your dad texted me. He wants you home." He moved back to his own chair as she struggled upright.

"Do his plans involve food? I'm hungry."

"When are you not hungry?" he asked with a chuckle. "He didn't say, but he knows you too, so I'm guessing yes." Veronica shrugged, sneering playfully at him before standing to get changed to head for home.

* * *

When Keith had left the apartment that morning, he knew that the kids could tell something was up. He was still convinced that the less they knew the better, so he left without responding to Veronica's arched eyebrows and aggravated sighs.

He'd realized over the last few weeks how lucky he was to have Logan around to keep Veronica occupied. This whole investigation would have been next to impossible without him available to get her around and keep her entertained while Keith was working, whether it was on the investigation of her accident or just regular MI business. He knew too that Logan had been instrumental in getting her to accept Keith's decision to keep her out of the whole mess. At first, he was concerned about what she would try next. He knew his daughter had the capacity to be quite the troublemaker. He'd imagined her tracking his car and tapping his phones. He was more than willing to admit Veronica was resourceful and he was sure she'd try to outsmart him, but once Logan began dragging her to his place after school, the fear of that all subsided.

Keith sat in his car outside of the hospital, waiting on what he hoped was the final act in this near tragedy. Grady's inside connections with Tijuana law enforcement had Marcus Arturo wanted in connection with Veronica's accident. Unfortunately, that meant that the cartel would eventually learn about his mistake, so Keith was staying as clear of the situation as he could to keep he and his daughter safe. As far as the cartel was concerned, the Mars family didn't know she was a mistaken identity and they wanted to keep it that way. His phone sounded and he flipped it open to a call from Grady.

" _Arturo's grandfather has been admitted and the calls had been made. Stand by."_

Two hours later and there was still no sign of him. Keith was considering taking a break for lunch when a car pulled up and parked. He recognized Mr. Arturo immediately from the file that Grady had sent him. He stared intently at the man who had harmed his daughter as he made his way into the hospital. It shouldn't be much longer. Sure enough, it was less than fifteen minutes before he had another call from Grady.

" _Suspect in custody."_

It wasn't long before he witnessed two officers escort him out of the hospital and into the unmarked car just outside. He raised his camera and focused on the the arrest as proof to show Veronica. Satisfied he had enough, he put his camera on the seat next to him and pulled his phone out sending two texts.

 _Logan, have Veronica home by 5_

 _Thanks Grady, I'm heading home_


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a very long day. From dealing with the 09ers, and then whatever that was in the pool at Logan's, to worrying about her dad and the case, she was pretty sure she could have napped for days, but Logan woke her with her dad's instructions to come home. As she entered the apartment, the first thing she noticed was a present sitting on the kitchen island. It was wrapped in a sparkling blue paper with silky silver ribbon and a bow.

"Dad?" Veronica called out, not seeing nor hearing any sign of him. She moved to the island and peered at the gift. There was no tag to be seen. She ran her fingers over the silky ribbon, her curiosity piqued.

"Are you going to open it?" She startled at the sound of Logan's voice.

"I don't know if it's mine," she replied.

"It's sitting on your counter; who else would it be for?" Logan chuckled and reached for the gift.

"Logan Echolls, don't you touch my present!" she demanded.

"I thought you said you didn't know whose it was," he teased, grabbing the present and taking off through the house.

Veronica gave chase, back around the kitchen island and through the living room. Logan's legs were longer but in the close quarters, he couldn't run away, and she was small and quick. Using the coffee table as a launching pad, she leapt at him, tackling him to the couch. They were wrestling for the present when the front door opened.

"Wow, I'm surprised you guys made it so quickly. I thought I'd timed it so I'd be back before the two of you made it out of the pool and got back here." Her dad was focused on unpacking the bags he'd brought in and hadn't seemed to notice them on the couch, but before she could move, he glanced up and snorted a laugh. She could only imagine what he was thinking at the sight of them, with Veronica stretched atop Logan with his hands over his head, holding the present just out of her reach.

"I see the two of you found your present," was his only response.

Logan and Veronica exchanged grins. "Our present," they said in unison.

Veronica pushed herself off Logan and moved towards her dad. Logan was up and following her to the counter in a flash, placing the box down in front of them.

"It's for both of us?" Logan asked, his hands still on the box.

"Well, I could argue that it's for all of us, but seeing how I'm the one who wrapped it and already received the joy it brings…" Keith motioned towards the gift. "Go on, open it."

Logan pulled at the ribbon, untying the bow so it fell away from the box. Veronica reached up and tore the paper open. Together they opened the box, finding it full of tissue paper. Logan began fishing through the paper, but the box seemed to be empty.

"There's nothing in here," he said with a frown.

Keith laughed. "Take out the tissue paper."

Veronica reached in and began pulling out the paper and Logan joined in. At the bottom of the box were photographs. Surveillance photographs. The photo on the top was of a man being followed by two others walking into what appeared to be a hospital. The next photo showed the same man being escorted out of the same hospital in handcuffs. Another photo showed the man being placed in the back of a police car.

"Is that?" Veronica questioned, excitement building in her. _Could this be Marcus Arturo is in custody?_

"You got him, Mr. Mars?" Logan asked.

"We did. One Marcus Arturo has been arrested in the attempted homicide of Veronica Mars."

Veronica couldn't control herself; she grabbed Logan's arm and began jumping up and down, squealing with glee. Logan smiled down at her.

"I told you, Mars, your dad wouldn't let him get away with it."

She jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he caught her easily, spinning her around before placing her back on her feet.

Keith interrupted the moment. "There's more news. Because this is a case of mistaken identity, and Veronica had nothing to do with why he ran her off the road, her witness statement is all the prosecution will need from her." He grasped Veronica's hands. "You won't have to testify and that means we aren't a part of the trial. You will only be known as the victim since you're a minor."

"So it's really over?" Veronica was hopeful.

"It really is, and I thought we could celebrate. So? Dinner at Mama Leone's? Logan, can you join us?" Keith suggested.

"I wouldn't miss it!"

* * *

Veronica had been exhausted, but after her dad's news, she felt rejuvenated. An actual arrest was the best possible news. She was proud of herself for listening to Logan and letting her dad handle it. She'd tried hard to do as they asked in hopes that she would gain their trust and convince them she could be a team player when it came to getting back into the PI business. She would need to be patient and slowly work her way into MI. After dinner, when it was just her and her dad, she decided to test the waters while they were on this euphoric high. She walked to her dad's bedroom and rapped gently on the door.

"Come in." She opened the door and peeked inside. Her dad was tucked in bed, reading a book. He set the book down beside him and removed his glasses.

"Hi, honey, you okay?"

"Daddy, can I ask you something?"

Keith patted the bed and Veronica entered the room, sitting down on the edge.

"I know you don't want me out in the field helping with cases right now, but I miss being at MI. I was wondering if you would let me come in after school for a few hours and just answer calls and do the filing." She gave him a mischievous grin. "You know you hate to file."

Keith looked at her with concern. "Honey, I'm concerned that if I let you do that, you may be tempted to do more. I just can't take that risk."

Veronica wanted this more than anything and she wasn't ready to give up. "I promise, Dad, I won't. I admit, it was hard to keep my nose out of my case, but I did it. I won't keep secrets or go behind your back. I'll always answer if you call and I'll keep you apprised of my whereabouts when I'm not with you or Logan. I just want to be given a chance to prove to you I can be a team player. Please?"

Keith sighed, rubbing his hands over his face, before meeting her eyes and smiling at her. "Can I sleep on it?"

Veronica's heart swelled. Unable to keep the smile off her face, she leaped forward to hug him.

"Yes, of course, thank you, Daddy!" She got up, trying not to wriggle with excitement as she headed out of the room. "G'night!"

"Night, Honey!" he called back.

Veronica made her way to her room and threw herself on her bed. Reaching for her phone, she dialed Logan.

" _Hey, miss me already?"_ His voice was warm and amused.

"Hey, so, I talked to my dad and asked him if I could go back to working at MI after school," she said, ignoring the butterflies that formed in her belly at his question.

" _Wow, so what did he say?"_

"Well, he asked to sleep on it," she admitted. "That's not a no, though."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. It made Veronica nervous. "Umm, Logan? You still there?"

" _May I make a suggestion?"_ He seemed hesitant.

"And what might that be?" she asked skeptically.

" _Why don't I come a little early to pick you up tomorrow and I'll bring breakfast. You let your dad enjoy himself and you lay off of him about you working for MI."_ Veronica huffed a little at that but she didn't interrupt his train of thought. _"Let him mull it over for the day and then we'll go by MI after school tomorrow with take out and dessert. If he hasn't given you an answer by then, you can hint around about it again."_

Veronica frowned up at the ceiling, thinking about what he was saying. He might be right; pushing her dad into making a decision might end up causing him to make one she didn't like. She smiled into the phone. Logan was again trying to think of the best way to get her what she needed.

"Thanks, Logan."

" _So that's a yes?"_

"Yeah, I'm going to take your advice and follow your lead. I'll see you in the morning."

" _Yeah, okay. Don't worry; it's a good idea."_ He sounded certain and she hoped he was right. _"Sweet dreams, Veronica."_

"Good night, Logan."

* * *

Veronica was up early, wanting to be ready when Logan arrived with breakfast. She'd heard her dad moving about a short time ago, but he hadn't emerged from his room yet. She was walking in to sit in the living room when there was a knock at the door. She detoured to the front door to let Logan in, taking the coffee carrier from him as he entered.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" he asked, setting the box on the counter.

"Good morning to you. I did sleep well, thank you." She tried to peek into the packages he'd brought in. "So, what do you have for us this morning?"

"Patience, Mars. You'll find out soon enough. Where's your dad?" He began to pull bags from the carry-out box.

"I haven't seen him," she said as he swatted her hand away from peeking in one of the bags.

Logan looked her square in the eye. "No starting without him." He made his way into the hall towards her dad's room.

"Mr. Mars. I brought breakfast." She heard him call through the closed door as she began to paw through the bags. He'd brought some of everything.

"Morning, Logan, thank you. I'll be right out," her dad called through his door.

Logan came back in the room, catching her digging in the bags. "Veronica!"

"Logan, there is a ton of food here, even I don't think I could eat all this."

He shrugged, seeming to give up on making her wait. "We'll see. And whatever's left, it'll keep." He sat on a stool at the island and started pawing into the food himself.

Veronica couldn't decide where to start. He'd brought a variety of pastries, donuts, bagels, and spreads. There were containers of fresh fruit and specially ordered coffees.

"This oughta soften him up," she said in a low voice and Logan grinned as he spread cream cheese on a bagel. Veronica sat down, pulling a lemon tart from one bag and chocolate donut from another. She decided she would start with sweet stuff and work her way to a bagel with fruit. She reached for the beverage carrier, raising a brow at the names scrawled in Logan's handwriting. One cup read 'Alpha', another read 'Mischief Maker', and the last one read 'Omega'.

"Exactly which one of these is supposed to be mine?" she asked, irritated.

"I thought they were pretty self explanatory." He reached for the Omega cup. "This one's mine." Logan didn't even glance her way; he just went back to eating his breakfast.

She was glaring at him when her dad walked into the kitchen. "What's the matter, Veronica? Did he not bring you what you wanted?"

"No, she's fine with the food; she just doesn't appreciate the names I wrote on our coffee cups. I thought they were fitting," Logan interjected.

Keith walked over, glancing at each cup without comment, then reached for the Alpha cup. "Thanks for breakfast, Logan," he said as he began to sift through the pastries.

"Seriously? I don't find this remotely funny. I've been on my best behavior!"

It was her dad who had the quick come back. "It's only a matter of time."

Veronica huffed in aggravation, then grabbed the remaining cup and her plate and stalked out of the kitchen to her room, kicking the door closed behind her. It was then that she regretted her grand exit because she realized they had all the food. She hadn't been in isolation for too long when there was a knock at her door.

"Ronnie, I brought you replenishments," Logan said as he opened her door.

She ignored him as he came in, holding her coffee close to her chest, her empty plate on the bed beside her. He set a plate loaded with fruit and a bagel down beside her, and she looked up at him with a grimace.

"How could you, Logan? I thought we were trying to convince him I could go back to MI, not remind him of all the bad stuff."

Logan picked up the plate and joined her on the bed. "I'm sorry; I guess I wasn't thinking." He offered her the plate. "Peace offering?" She just glared at him, refusing to let him off that easily.

"I talked to your dad." She perked up at his admission. "I told him that it seems like he's been keeping you on a pretty tight leash and you've still been cooperating and maybe it's time to let loose a bit. He didn't say yes or no, but I think he kind of agreed."

"Really? So you think he'll agree to letting me come back to the office?" she asked, twisting to look directly at him. He shrugged and gave her a half smile.

"We're just gonna have to wait and see." He scooted off the bed and turned back to face her. "Why don't you finish your breakfast so we can get to school. I told your dad we'd be stopping by later today." Still holding the plate he'd made for her, he offered her his other hand, pulling her to stand and she followed him back into the kitchen. She was surprised when her dad wasn't there.

"Did my dad leave already?"

"Yeah, he took his breakfast to go," Logan said, grabbing another pastry from the bag. "He said he had some things to do this morning."

Veronica sat back down at the island, frowning as she speared a piece of pineapple out of her fruit cup. She wondered what could be so important that he didn't even check in to tell her goodbye.

* * *

Keith sat in his office, checking the surveillance equipment he'd installed earlier in the day. He'd decided before even going to sleep the night before that he was going to allow Veronica to come back, but it would be on his terms. He was proud of her for not getting involved in her case, but he didn't completely trust that she would be able to stick to her promises. He now had eyes and ears all over the Mars Investigations' offices. If Veronica slipped up and starting investigating things on her own again, he would know it.

He felt a little guilty at first for going to such extremes but he knew his daughter. He was prepared to invite her back, but he'd be watching to make sure she kept her promises. As he looked over the various camera angles, he noticed Logan and Veronica enter the office, carrying dinner. Logan's free hand was resting at the small of her back and Veronica was leaning into him, laughing at something he was saying. Keith grimaced a little as he watched them. He'd been wondering for a while how long it would be before they realized that they both had more than friendly feelings for each other, and _he_ was just now realizing that cameras everywhere might end up showing him something he didn't necessarily want to see. He watched them laughing as they climbed the stairs before closing the laptop and calling out to them as he heard their voices in the lobby.

"Veronica?"

"Yeah, Dad, we're here," she replied as she opened his office door. She crossed the room and set a six pack of soda on his desk, Logan following behind her, carrying two boxes of pizza.

"That smells delicious," Keith said, clearing off his desk to make room.

"I was going to bring dessert too, but Veronica wants to stop at Amy's later," Logan said as he set the boxes down.

"Oh, breakfast gave me plenty of sweets for one day, but thank you." Keith filled his plate with a few slices of pizza and grabbed a bottle of soda before sitting down. "How was school?"

"It was the usual. How was your day? You left in kind of a hurry this morning," Veronica said.

"I finished a few cases and did some of my paperwork. There was something I had to finish up this morning. I'm sorry about that." Keith took a drink before continuing. "You seem to be over your little fit with Logan this morning."

He smiled as Veronica glared at Logan, clearly making him squirm in his chair. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well, my little mischief maker, I've decided that you can come back to work."

"Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Before you get too excited you need to understand, you are only answering phones, filing, and managing the books." He looked at her sternly. "Nothing else."

"I accept!" She jumped up and came around the desk to hug him. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Just don't make me regret this, Veronica," Keith replied, hugging her tightly. When she'd released him and moved back to sit again, he glanced over to Logan. "So I presume you're still fine with driving her after school? You can just bring her here on the days she's working instead of going to the apartment or your house. Then I can get her home." Keith hid his smile as he saw Logan suddenly realize that Veronica working meant spending less time with her.

"Umm, sure, it's no problem. I'll still drive her wherever she needs to go," Logan said, "before school, after–"

"Hey, what if Logan wants to keep us company? Could he possibly do that?" Veronica interrupted and this time it was an outright laugh that Keith had to suppress..

"Of course, Logan is always welcome. He's certainly become quite the permanent fixture in our lives."

They finished dinner, then cleaned up, before Keith told them to head out.

"Go get the girl some ice cream," he told Logan. "I've gotta finish up a few things and then I'll lock the place up before I head for home."

"Do you want us to bring you some ice cream, Dad?" Veronica asked.

"No thanks, I'm good. Make sure you're home by curfew."

* * *

Logan pulled into the lot near Amy's. He'd been nervous about how today would pan out after the mishap at breakfast, but Veronica seemed to get over her irritation at him rather quickly, especially once he'd shared that he thought her dad was going to let her come back to work. Even after all the time they'd been spending together, it still surprised him when her temper flashed, but then calmed. Before Lilly died, Veronica had been sweet and understanding, but after...he'd gotten used to scary, vengeful Veronica, probably like she'd adjusted to the ways he'd changed. This version of her was a mix between the old and the new, and as far as he was concerned, it was all the best parts.

Unfortunately, he was pretty sure that his feelings were getting more obvious by the day. He'd seen Mr. Mars trying not to laugh when Logan had realized during dinner that Veronica working was going to take her away from hanging around with him, and the relief he'd felt when she'd suggested that he could hang out at MI had been so overwhelming that it had to be obvious. He had to find a way to deal with his feelings before he embarrassed himself.

"Come on, slowpoke, what are you doing over there? Napping?" Veronica prodded him in the side. "It's ice cream time." She got out of the truck and he did the same, meeting her at the front and walking with her to the order window.

"So, what are you having?" he asked, looking up at the flavor board himself.

"I think I'm going to go for rocky road. You?"

"I'm liking the idea of cookie dough," he said, just as the girl came to the window.

"What can I get ya?" she asked.

"Two scoops of rocky road please," Veronica ordered.

"And I'll have a scoop of cookie dough," Logan added.

"That'll be six fifty," the girl said after totalling the order. Logan handed her a twenty and turned to face Veronica, leaning against the counter.

"You were a bit excited when you heard your dad tell you he was letting you come back to work." The girl reached out the window, handing Logan his change. He pocketed it and turned back to Veronica, who was smiling at him.

"I'm not going to mess this up. I like the PI biz, so I'm gonna play by his rules...and you're both right, I need to be safer."

Logan reached up, brushing the hair that blew in her face behind her ear. "I'm glad you agree."

The girl returned to the window, handing them both their ice cream. Logan rested his hand on Veronica's lower back, guiding her to the rocks at the edge of the beach. They climbed up and sat, facing the water as they ate their ice cream. The wind was blustery so close to the water and her hair blew across her cone, leaving a trail of ice cream on her cheek. Veronica huffed in irritation as she tried containing her hair behind her ear before wiping at the ice cream with her napkin. Logan couldn't help chuckle at her attempts and tried to help.

"Here, let me." He handed her his cone and took her napkin, using it to finish cleaning the ice cream from her hair before tossing it in the nearby trash can. He then used his own napkin to wipe off her cheek. He could feel the weight of her eyes on him as he did so. He looked up at her briefly, looking away again before he could get lost in her intense gaze. When he'd finished he tossed the second napkin away and held out the cones.

"Thanks, can you hold these for a minute, please?"

Logan took the cones and watched as she pulled a hair tie from her back pocket, securing her hair. When she was finished, Logan handed her ice cream back and settled beside her again on the rock.

"Can I try a bite of that?' she asked unexpectedly, nodding towards his cone.

He looked at his ice cream, then glanced at hers. "Okay, if I can have a bite of yours."

Veronica nodded and held out her cone to Logan. He gave her a teasing smile and did the same. They each took a bite of the other's cone and the moaning noise that Veronica made as she took her bite of his cone made Logan's stomach do somersaults. He tried to turn his attention back to his cone, finishing it in another couple of bites as they sat silently beside each other.

He shifted slightly on the rock so he could watch her. She was concentrating on a drip down the side of the cone, catching it with her tongue before it reached her hand. She glanced up at him again, coloring as she noticed his gaze.

"Another bite?" she asked, holding the cone out to him, but he shook his head and she shrugged. "Your loss," she said before crunching into the cone. Logan laughed and leaned back on his hands as she finished the last of her ice cream. When she was done, she turned toward him and he noticed that a strand of her hair had fallen from her pony tail.

Logan reached out to tuck the loose strand behind her ear, but when their eyes met this time, he couldn't bring himself to look away. He stroked his thumb over her cheek, trying to convince himself this was a bad idea, but when she didn't pull away or try to shrug him off, he gave into the pull he'd been feeling toward her. He bent down, pulling her towards him, and brushing his lips lightly over hers. Then, to his shock, it happened...she kissed him back.


	11. Chapter 11

**_and so it must end...Enjoy!_**

Veronica had been embarrassed as she sat, Logan beside her, with ice cream smeared on her face. He'd even laughed, but she was pretty sure it was more about him being amused by the situation rather than actually laughing at her. She couldn't help staring at him as he gently wiped the ice cream from her cheek and she'd gotten goosebumps when his eyes met hers. She had to take a moment to pull her hair up into a ponytail, trying to get herself under control after the intense moment and she'd still been trying to lighten the mood when she'd asked to share his ice cream. She never would have guessed that it would lead to kissing.

Logan was the first to pull back, resting his forehead upon hers, his hand still caressing her cheek. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on slowing her breathing, but not having a lot of success with her focus instead on the feel of Logan's skin against hers. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his words.

"I've wanted to do that for so long."

"What?" Her eyes popped open and she stared up at him. He dropped his eyes, then glanced back up, looking embarrassed. His sheepish grin made her smile back at him.

"Really?" she asked, incredulous.

He sat back, still holding her face in the palm of his hands. "Yeah." His fingers played up into her hair. "Since I'm making embarrassing confessions anyway, if I'm gonna be honest, I've wanted to do that since we were twelve."

Veronica reached up, grabbing the placket of his shirt. "I...I...but...but you loved Lilly," she stammered.

"Eventually, yeah. But that doesn't mean I wasn't interested in you. It's just...you were so sweet, and perfect, and I...I just wasn't." He ducked his head again. "I was told you'd never be with someone like me, that you preferred Duncan. And Lilly...she was always there, and you know how she was. She had a pull that was hard to resist, and since I couldn't have you…" He paused, looking up at her from under his eyelashes. "She and I made sense back then, just like you and Duncan made sense. Don't be mad. I knew she was right...I wasn't good enough for you. But I never stopped feeling..." He leaned into her then, kissing her again, making it really hard to think about what he was saying. Years ago, when she'd started to hint around to Lilly that she thought Logan was cute, and that she might have been starting to like him more than just your average boy, Lilly had been almost dismissive, telling her that someone like Logan was far too exciting and wild for someone like Veronica, and she'd believed her. Lilly had so much more experience than she did; who was she to doubt her?

With an effort, she pulled away from Logan and jumped off the rock, heading down the beach, her lips still tingling from Logan's kisses but needing to get some distance so she could think. The further down the beach she went, the clearer her mind was, but she stopped and turned back when she heard him call her name.

"Stop." She held up her hand and he stopped in his tracks. She could tell from the look on his face that she was scaring him, but she had to process everything that he'd just told her.

"Lilly told you that I wouldn't be with someone like you." She wasn't sure if she was asking a question or just trying to be clear what she already heard, but he nodded. "When I told Lilly that I liked you, she told me that you'd get bored with someone like me." Logan began walking towards her. She didn't stop him this time, but she kept talking through her confused thoughts. "That I'd be much happier with Duncan."

Logan stopped his pursuit. "What?"

Standing about five feet apart from each other, they just stared at one another. Thoughts whirled through Veronica's head. Had Lilly kept them apart? And was it because of the reasons she said–that Logan and Veronica were too different from each other to be together–or was it for some other reason? She thought about what it was like back then. All the times Logan was flirty and fun. All the times that he called or texted her just to check in and see how she was doing. She'd thought that he was just being nice to her because of Lilly, but now it looked like that hadn't been right. It had all been because he cared, even if he had been told he wasn't good enough. She knew better, and she didn't want the distance between them anymore. She walked back to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. An unexpected sense of calm came over her as they held each other.

* * *

Veronica clasped the hair clip, pulling up the curls on the right side of her head to complete her look. Finding the pink lip gloss on her vanity, she applied an even coat, then rubbed her lips together. As she looked over herself in the mirror, she heard the knock on her front door. He was here. She sat down to strap on her shoes.

"Honey, your gentleman caller is here," her dad called to her from the living room.

"Just a minute," she called out, finishing with the strap on her left shoe. When they had returned from the beach the other night, Logan had asked her dad if he could take her out on a date. She was pretty amused with Logan's ability to render her dad speechless. In the end, her dad had admitted to wondering how long it'd take for this to happen, and had given Logan his consent.

As Veronica stepped out into the hallway, she heard them talking about the game that was playing on the television.

"Okay, I'm ready to go," she said as she walked up behind her dad and kissed his cheek.

"Have fun, kids," her dad responded. "Remember, ten o'clock."

Logan stood up, shook her dad's hand, and walked up to her. He reached for her hand and, leaning in, kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful. Shall we?"

"Night, Dad," she said as she closed the door behind them.

Just outside the door, Logan stopped and turned to face her. "Come here," he said, pulling her to him to give her a proper kiss.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked together to the truck. Logan opened the door and held her hand as she climbed in, then shut the door and jogged around to the driver's side.

"Ready?" he asked, placing the key in the ignition.

Veronica felt euphoric; she could only nod in agreement. She was sure he would take her to her favorite Italian place, but where he should've turned, he kept going straight. He glanced her way and smiled.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"I have a surprise."

"Am I at least dressed for the occasion?" She looked at what he was wearing, a button-up and black pants.

"I told you; you're beautiful." He glanced her way briefly before turning his attention back to the road. When he pulled up to a stop light, he looked at her again. "You're dressed just fine," he assured her. He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it before resting their joined hands on her lap.

Logan drove away from downtown, heading into the 90909. Deep into one of the nicest neighborhoods, they pulled onto a lane that lined the beach.

"We're a little overdressed for a beach party, aren't we?" Veronica asked and Logan laughed.

"No beach party," he replied just before he pulled into a driveway of a house even bigger than his own. He parked the truck and hopped out to walk around to her.

"Where are we?" she asked when he opened her door. He just smiled at her, taking her hand and leading her to the front door.

"Wait and see." He rang the doorbell, then kissed her forehead. "I think you're going to love it.".

When the door opened, a man, probably the butler judging by his suit, greeted them. "Good evening, Mr. Echolls, we're very glad you could join us this evening. If you'll follow me, the guests are gathering in the dining room and dinner will be served shortly."

"Thank you," Logan replied, and they followed the butler to the dining room. A large table dominated the room. Veronica counted twelve seats, each with a place setting and place cards. As Logan walked her along the table, she began reading some of the names, but she didn't recognize any of them. On the opposite side, they found their places and took their seats.

"Are you going to tell me why we're here?" she asked as she glanced around the room at the few other people that were seated.

Logan turned in his chair and whispered to her, "It's a murder mystery party. It's really a fundraiser for some children's charity that my mom and dad got invited to, but they weren't going to go and when I heard about it, I figured, since you've had to cool it with the investigating lately, that this was a safe, fun way for you to use your skills."

Veronica's heart fluttered. He'd managed to choose a first date that was both unusual and suited specifically for her. She closed the distance between them and kissed him.

* * *

Logan pulled up to Veronica's apartment building and turned off the ignition. Her trophy and certificate for solving the mystery sat on her lap. Logan was grateful that his mom had mentioned the party, and that she'd been willing to make the donation so he could take Veronica to it for their first date.

Watching her work had been amazing. He'd never seen this side of her. They'd been at odds when her dad created Mars Investigations and she started working for him, and after they'd reconciled, she'd been locked out of the business. It fascinated him to see first hand how her brain worked as she solved the mystery. He could see why she wanted to keep working with her dad at MI; she was really good at spotting clues and putting the pieces together. The rest of the partygoers never had a chance.

Logan stepped out of the truck, walking around to open her door. She reached out and he took her hand to help her out, but as soon as her feet were on the ground, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Thank you for tonight, Logan," she said when they pulled apart, her voice a little breathless. "It was the most perfect first date. I had so much fun."

"Yeah, well, I knew how much you missed getting to do this kind of stuff and when I heard about this thing, I thought it might help with that." He leaned down to kiss her again. "Plus, it was awesome to see the great Veronica Mars, girl detective, at work."

"Oh really?" she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, really. I've never gotten to see you in action before." He grinned down at her. "It was actually pretty hot."

"You probably don't want to share that tidbit with my dad," she said and he nodded before kissing her once more.

"I make it a point not to discuss your hotness with your dad. I have a feeling that isn't information he really wants to hear."

He stepped back and caught her hand in his before heading toward the apartment. At her doorstep, he gave her a final kiss. "Good night, Ronnie."

"Night, Lo." She reached for the doorknob, but before opening it, she turned back. "Call me when you get home, okay?"

"Okay," he said as he walked back to his truck. When he reached his door, he looked back up at the apartment and she was still standing at the door watching him. He waved to her and she blew him a kiss and waved back, then turned to go inside.

* * *

When Logan got home, he stopped in the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and found his mom sitting at the counter. He walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Hi, honey. How was your date?" she asked as he kissed her temple, then moved to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water.

"It was amazing. She's amazing." He sat down next to her. "It was just so perfect. Veronica solved the case and they gave her a trophy. You should have seen her. She's so smart and clever and gorgeous and..." He stopped and looked at her, shamefaced. "Geez, I'm gushing."

"Gush all you want, sweetheart. I think it's great that you and Veronica have gotten together. I always loved her when you were friends before. And I'm so happy that the fundraiser worked out to be what you were looking for." His mom patted his hand and smiled. "So I take it this means you will be planning a second date?"

"Second, third...there will be plenty more if I can do anything about it." He'd already spent the entire ride home thinking of other ideas. "Oh, I promised her I'd call when I got home." Logan kissed his mom's cheek and stood up. "Night, Mom, love you."

"Love you too, honey, good night."

Logan headed up to his room to have some privacy to talk to Veronica. As he closed his door, he pulled his phone from his pants pocket and dialed her number, then collapsed on his bed.

" _Home safe and sound?"_ Her voice came through the phone and his heart fluttered.

"Yeah, safe and sound." He sat up and kicked off his shoes. "I really had a great time tonight and I got you home before curfew. Do you think your dad is cool with us doing this again soon?"

She laughed. " _I'm pretty sure you already have his blessing. You aren't going to need to ask him every time you want to make plans."_

"I suppose you're right. So was tonight what you expected?" he asked.

" _I was telling my dad about our night while I was waiting to make sure you got home okay. He was surprised you found something like that for us to do. He was impressed, just like I was."_ She paused for a moment before she continued. _"It really was incredible, Logan, I loved it. I love that you chose something that you knew would make me happy. Thank you so much for an incredible evening."_

"It was my pleasure, Mars. Shall I pick you up tomorrow, maybe we can head to the beach or go to the boardwalk?" he asked.

" _I'd like that. Sweet dreams, Logan."_

"You too, Veronica. I'll call you tomorrow." He waited for the call to disconnect before flipping his phone closed and dropping it onto his bedside table. A grin on his face, he rolled off the bed to get ready for bed, replaying the night's events over and over in his head until they finally lulled him to sleep.

* * *

After the great night together, Logan couldn't wait to see Veronica again, so he called her first thing in the morning to make plans for the day. Dick had called at the crack of dawn to go surfing, but when Logan refused, Dick instead suggested getting together later at Java the Hut for a late breakfast. Logan had liked the idea, and Veronica had also, so Logan picked her up at home and they headed for the coffee joint. Logan spotted Dick sitting with an African American kid he vaguely remembered seeing around school and a dark haired girl with a blue streak in her hair. He didn't really know her, but he'd had her in a class or two. He'd heard she was supposed to be good with computers.

"Who's that with Dick?" Veronica asked as they headed for Dick's table.

"I'm not sure who the guy is, but I'm pretty sure the girl's name is Mac," Logan replied quietly as they made their way to the table.

"Dick, man, how's it going?" Logan said as they joined the group. He turned his focus to the other two at the table. "Hi, I'm Logan and this is Veronica."

The girl smiled shyly. "I'm Mac."

"So the computer thing is true, huh?" Logan asked and she laughed.

"Well, yeah, but that's not why I go by Mac. It's short for MacKenzie; that's my last name."

"I guess you got the perfect last name then," Veronica said. "Like in Harry Potter. Who'd name their kid Remus Lupin and not know he was eventually getting turned into a werewolf?"

Everyone laughed and the boy stood up and extended his hand to Veronica, and then to Logan. "I'm Wallace Fennell. Nice to meet you both."

Everyone sat down and after a moment, the waitress came over to take their orders.

"So Mac, if you're into computers and such, what are you doing hanging around with this guy?" Logan asked, motioning to Dick.

"Yeah, I had a project with his brother Cassidy. We just sort of started hanging out playing video games," Mac said.

"She kicks my ass every time," Dick added, then motioned to Wallace. "We found this guy taped to a flagpole on the first day of school. Meg made us cut him down. Dude crossed the PCHers."

"Wallace, my dear boy, not smart," Veronica said, making Logan laugh.

"Give him a break, Ronnie, he's new in town. He knows not of the Neptune underbelly," Dick teased.

"Mistakes like that will get you swallowed by the hellmouth," Veronica replied dryly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...I already heard a version of this from our friend here," Wallace said, nodding towards Mac. "Dick's been keeping them at bay for the time being."

"Why don't we have my dad look into it? He might be able to suggest something to get them to back off," Veronica suggested.

Logan looked up at her in surprise. The Veronica who'd come into existence after Lilly died, the one who got herself run off the road and nearly killed, would have come up with a wild plan of her own that would probably have put her in danger. This most recent version of Veronica thought of getting help from her dad first. He knew that she'd changed, but this was unexpected, even for him. Maybe she really had learned her lesson. Logan leaned over, gently pulling her closer and kissing her temple. She responded with a blush and a warm smile.

* * *

Her dad had gone into the office to meet with Deputy Sacks about Wallace's case. She and Logan decided to stay in for the evening, binging on classic movies and eating their weight in ice cream and popcorn.

"What shall we watch next?" Logan asked, flipping through the DVDs on the shelf.

"I say we stick with comedy," Veronica called from the kitchen where she was popping more popcorn.

"Without a Paddle?" Logan suggested as he pulled it from the shelf.

"Perfect," Veronica said, coming back in with another big bowl of popcorn. She sat down on the couch, putting her feet up on the table in front of her. Logan grabbed the remote before sitting down beside her. He draped his arm across the back of the couch behind her and she leaned into him setting the bowl on their laps. Watching Logan click through the preview trailers, Veronica's mind began to wander. Where would they be now if they had followed their hearts when they were twelve? Or if she hadn't followed her heart and trusted him or her dad to help?

Logan must have noticed her staring at him; he picked up the popcorn bowl and placed it on the coffee table, then turned to face her.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

"So much has changed. I feel stronger, happier," she said. "It's because of you." He smiled, and reached out to pull her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead on his.

They sat silently for a moment, just enjoying the moment, before she interrupted the stillness. "Can I just say one more thing?"

Logan only nodded his head, which in turn made her nod hers. The simple act made her laugh and he smiled back at her. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here. I never should have let Lilly manipulate me back when we first met you. I mean, I don't think she was trying to hurt me; I never want to think that. I just always let her have her way, even if it meant I missed out on something important to me." She stroked her thumb against his cheek. "Knowing now, how I feel about you, I wish I'd been stronger back then."

Logan rolled his head so his lips would meet hers. After a slow heartfelt kiss, he pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Better late than never."

 ** _Thank You, Irma66, You are incredible!_**


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